Click on the image for the larger version.

Click on the image for the larger version.

Dear Draco and Neville,

How is Seoul? I hope you two haven’t suffered from Portkey-lag. I miss you two a lot. Neville, don’t forget to give Professor Lee all the Quibbler magazines. Also, be sure to look for that very rare squirrel, the one I am calling the Slytherin Squirrel (because of its green fur and its shy nature!), hidden somewhere on the Yonsei University campus. Good luck with that and your Korean herbology studies!

Are there a lot of Nargles, Wrackspurts, and Bibbering Humdingers there? I’ve heard that cucumber kimchi attracts them the most, so I am certain you’ve run into plenty there. Do keep track and see if my theory is correct.

Oh, and Draco, how’s your job? You’re sponsoring the Korean artists, aren’t you? Don’t forget your promise! Send me music samples of the artists you sponsor. I would love to hear their music. Muggles’ music is so much more interesting than wizarding music.

Write back when you can. Don’t mind Hermes biting you, Draco. He does that because he likes you.

Love,
Luna

“Bloody owl!” Draco glared at Hermes, rubbed his sore fingers, and watched how that blasted thing flew over to Neville. Hermes landed on Neville’s shoulder and let out a soft hoot before he nuzzled against Neville’s cheek.

Neville smiled apologetically. “What did Luna write?”

“The usual.” He handed Neville the letter. “She’s reminding you about the magazines and the squirrel, which she has decided to name the ‘Slytherin Squirrel’, and she wants us to test her cucumber kimchi theory, and she’s asking for free samples of the artists I am working with.”

“Mmm.” Neville read as he petted Hermes. “You better write her now. Remember what happened the last time you took your time responding to her?”

Draco groaned. “Don’t remind me. I swear, women are dangerous, and Luna is probably the most dangerous one of them all, even more dangerous than Granger. At least with Granger, she just punches me. But Luna . . . ” He shook his head and took out a parchment and began to write.

“While you do that, I’ll go find some treats for Hermes.”

“Yeah? Just make sure he doesn’t leave any of his nasty ‘surprises’.” Draco ignored Hermes indignant hoots as he wrote a response back to one of his dearest (and weirdest) friends.

“I’m thinking you pissed Hermes off last time, so he refused to deliver the letter . . . ”

“Oh, yeah, it’s always my fault!” Draco scowled at Luna’s newest messenger. “But really, did she have to send a vulture?!”

Neville chuckled nervously before he put his arm around Draco’s shoulders. “At least this one seems well-trained. It’s not poking our eyes out . . . yet. Still, better read what she said and write back as soon as possible.”

With Neville’s arm still on him, Draco leaned comfortably against him, and he began to read the letter out loud, keeping one eye on that vulture.

Dear Draco and Neville,

Hermes has a girlfriend, so he’s too busy with her to deliver this letter. I’ve sent Vladimir this time. His kind is so misunderstood. Just know that Vladimir is gentle. Try petting him on the top of his head. He loves it. One last thing about him — he has a tendency to sing when he’s hungry, so be sure to feed him. He especially loves raw meat.

So, Neville, still no signs of that Slytherin Squirrel? I’m not surprised. It really is shy, so just keep trying. I heard if you entice it with candy floss, your chances of seeing it increases. Oh, and thank you for sending me those articles about Korean herbology. They make excellent reading when I am in the bubble bath.

And Draco, I am really loving the music of Dong Bang Shin Ki, but what is the meaning of their name? Is it some sort of a secret code? Do they change into Nargles if someone figures out their name? Also, thanks for the DVD of their concert. Harry had to push some random buttons on the controller to break something so the DVD would play.

Going back to the concert, these young men are fascinating. The way they dance and sing, it is all wonderful. I think my favourite is Changmin, or Max as he prefers to be called in English. I’ve been learning bits of Korean from watching them. I love Korean. It sounds so different from English . . .

Draco skimmed the rest of the letter, which was incredibly long. “She goes back and forth between talking about the artists, Korean, and about her recent adventure of Wrackspurts hunting with Potter in the Forbidden Forest.”

“Sounds like she’s smitten by that Dong group. What does their name stand for anyway?”

“I . . . ” Draco paused. “I’m not sure. I never asked.”

“Are you going to find out?”

“Maybe–”

Vladimir let out a loud screeching noise, an unpleasant sound that made Draco’s insides twist painfully.

Draco and Neville looked at each other. In a whisper, Neville asked, “Is that his so-called singing?”

“Probably.”

“Well, I guess you–”

“You can feed him, and I’ll write to Luna.” Besides, Draco thought, the sooner he wrote, the faster he could send Vladimir away.

“Fine, but next time you deal with Hermes or Vladimir.”

“Why? You deal with animals better than I. So quit complaining.” He smirked. “I’ll make it up to you later . . . ” He winked as his voice went down to a whisper.

Draco’s smirk grew louder as Neville inhaled sharply before he went to tend Vladimir. As Vladimir’s “singing” increased in volume, Draco quickly started on his reply.

“No letter from Luna?”

Draco shook his head, surprised that it’d been weeks since he’d last heard from her. “No, but given that I haven’t received any frantic owls from Potter, I’m guessing she’s just busy.”

“Shame. I kind of miss Vladimir and Hermes.” Neville carefully trimmed his bonsai tree, a gift Draco had given him a few years back.

“I don’t.”

“Right. Ever since our third year . . . ”

“Don’t remind me!”

Neville chuckled. “I’ll write her a letter.” He glanced at the clock. “You better get going. Don’t keep Rain waiting.”

“Bi.”

“What?”

“That’s the Korean word for ‘rain’.”

“Right, Bi.”

Draco checked over his suit one last time. He looked impeccable, like always. “All right. I’ll be off. Don’t be late tonight.”

“I won’t. Seoul Tower at eight. I’ll get the bus up there. One of my professors told me the cable car was not worth the money, saying something about how they cram about fifty people into that thing.”

“How vile.” Draco pecked Neville’s cheek. “I’ll see you tonight.”

Draco looked out the window as his driver, Mr Kim, inched the car through the heavy Seoul traffic. He’d been at the Leeum Samsung Art Museum at the edge of Itaewon, and now he had to go to Yonsei University to meet Neville for dinner. He could have chosen to Apparate, but he opted for the car ride so he could watch the scenery and the people.

He just wished they weren’t stuck in traffic. According to Mr Kim, that intersection at Hamilton Hotel was the cause of the traffic in Itaewon, and Mr Kim assured him that once they passed that intersection, things would move a lot faster.

Outside, his eyes landed on a woman with long pale blonde hair. Her hair reminded him of Luna, and he fondly remembered how they became friends.

It was during his “eighth year” at Hogwarts. His father was imprisoned in Azkaban. Thanks to Harry Potter, Draco and his mother didn’t get sent to Azkaban, but the Malfoy name was still disgraced after the war. He hadn’t wanted to go back to Hogwarts for his eighth year, but his mother had insisted on him finishing his education, so he begrudgingly went to Hogwarts.

Seeing Luna at Hogwarts reminded him of how she was kept captive in his dungeons, and that guilt made him stay away from her. However, in her strange, peculiar way, she sought him out. At first, he hated her strange conversations about Nargles and Wrackspurts, plus the way she always talked about the Quibbler and always made sure she had a copy for him. Soon, though, Draco came to appreciate Luna’s unique way of looking at the world. He still didn’t exactly like her, but that all changed one day when he went to see his mother at Hogsmeade. Everyone around them had given them nasty looks and indiscreetly talked about them, but not Luna. She just came up to them both and started talking about how emeralds really made his mother’s complexion look youthful.

Afterwards, when the two of them walked back to Hogwarts, Draco knew then that she was a friend. She was odd, but she was a friend, and he knew deep inside that she would not be easy to get rid of even if he’d tried his hardest to shun her.

Exactly two days after his big revelation, she had begun dragging him into the greenhouse Neville worked in. It was awkward, he remembered. Draco didn’t know how to act around Neville, and to his horror, he even discovered he was attracted to him. Still, through the mysterious power of Luna, the two became friends. And it wasn’t long before she began to leave them alone and even told them to hurry up and snog one another before she had to resort to locking them up in a tiny room with Nargles.

Throughout all this, Draco couldn’t help but wonder if Luna really was a Ravenclaw. She seemed sneakier than most hardcore Slytherins.

“We’re almost there.” Mr Kim’s voice interrupted his daydreaming. Draco looked up with a start at the familiar Sinchon Rotary.

Draco nodded. Neville had mentioned to him this morning that Luna hadn’t written back yet. He knew that nothing had happened to her because there hadn’t been any anxious owl messages or Floo-calls from Harry, but he found it odd that she went this long without writing them a letter. In fact, he found himself missing her quirky letters.

In a couple of weeks, he and Neville would finally have some time off from their jobs. He decided then to ask Neville about going back to England for a few days and surprising their friends and families on an impromptu visit. He knew Neville would love the idea, so he created a mental list of gifts, including kimchi, he could bring back home.

DEE DEE DEE DEE DEE DEE DEE DEE DEEEEEEEEEE!

“Fucking hell!” Draco hated that “Fur Elise” doorbell. He especially hated it at three in the morning! He sat up while Neville stirred next to him but didn’t wake. Grumbling and cursing, Draco stomped out of the bedroom and went to look on the screen of his doorbell phone. He didn’t see a face, but he saw a stuffed bear.

Frowning and wondering if a drunk was out there, he grabbed the phone and snapped, “Who are you and why the fuck are you here so late?”

“I’m not late,” said a familiar, dreamy voice. “I’m early.”

“Oh, great. I must be dreaming. A Korean ajusshi that sounds like Luna,” Draco mumbled.

“I’m not an old Korean man. I can be one if you want, but it’d have to be temporary. I don’t think Harry will appreciate me switching genders on him.”

“Wait–” Draco reached the door in two seconds. He pulled it open, nearly jerking his arm out of the socket from the force, and stared at Luna and her three large rolling suitcases, her creative and colourful outfit, and her stuffed bear she had named “Bear”.

She beamed at Draco and said, “Good morning!” Then she flung her arms around him and hugged him tightly. “That was a long Portkey ride. I was surprised there was such a long queue at Hong Kong, but then again, I think King Kong must have been visiting, so that caused the extra waiting around. Anyway, surprise! Happy birthday.”

“Luna, my birthday was two months ago!”

“Oh, then happy early birthday!” She somehow managed to wheel in all three suitcases at the same time — how, Draco wasn’t sure — and she sat on the couch and fingered her kimchi pot earrings. “Is Nev sleeping?”

“Yeah. You know he sleeps like a rock.”

“Yes, I remember now. Oh, and I’m sorry I haven’t been writing. Things have been so busy with trying to plan this surprise visit. I even told Harry to keep it a secret.”

“Well,” Draco said dryly. “You did a great job on that, and you beat me and Neville at our own plans. We were going to go back to England next week and surprise everyone, too.”

“Daddy did say great minds think alike. I only wished Harry could have come with me, but Kingsley really needed him right now, so he wasn’t able to get the time off. At least I promised to bring back a huge container of fresh kimchi.”

“I see.”

“Anyway, I can’t wait to explore this wonderful place for my one-week stay, but I think sleep is finally coming to me. Don’t mind me if I start sleep-walking, all right?”

Draco couldn’t help it. He began to snigger. “Right, right. Let me take you to the guest room.” As he helped Luna settle in her room, he set aside his gift list and focused on a new sightseeing list for Luna.

The next few days passed by in a blur, thanks to them Apparating and Portkeying everywhere. Neville, excited by Luna’s surprise visit, showed her all over Yonsei University and Sinchon, and they even walked around Yonsei University campus with Professr Lee to see if they could get a glimpse of that elusive squirrel. The Slytherin Squirrel remained hidden, but that didn’t deter Luna at all as she ate some of her candy floss and said, “It has to be just right for it to appear. We just have to be patient.”

Otherwise, she loved everything about Seoul and South Korea.

When they took her to Myeong-dong and Namdaemun Market, she marvelled at the marketplaces and the merchandise, amazed that these two places were more condensed and labyrinth-like than Diagon Alley.

They took her to Insa-dong on a Sunday, where the whole street was blocked from traffic, and many arts and crafts vendors filled up the streets. Luna adored that place, and there she said she had got new ideas for her future jewelleries.

She became enthralled with Korean architecture when they visited Gyeongbok Palace. Harry had given her a digital camera, and Luna had taken so many photographs that they had to go to the sprawling Yongsan Electronics Market later to stock up on more SD cards.

Luna, not really into the clubbing scene, still decided to check out the night life at Hongdae and Sinchon, and they even walked around Itaewon, bar-hopping on the side streets and in the so-called Hooker Hill area.

They rode the Han River cruise boat, and they went to the wealthier neighbourhoods in Gangnam district. From there they went to Coex Mall, and they visited a Buddhist temple, Bongeunsa, across from it.

They even managed to make a getaway to Gyeongju, the old capital of the Silla dynasty, and there Luna snapped more photographs of the old king’s burial mounds.

Finally, they stopped by Jeju Island, where Luna insisted that she wanted to see Love Land, the sex-themed theme park that is popular amongst honeymooners. Both Draco and Neville found themselves blushing, but Luna remained unfazed as she clicked away on her camera. “I can’t wait to show Harry these pictures,” she exclaimed at one point.

Unfortunately, all good things came to an end eventually, and Luna’s week was slowly, but surely coming to an end. On her last night in Seoul, Draco decided to surprise Luna.

“You have three tickets to a Dong Bang Shin Ki concert? And I get to meet them after the concert backstage?”

Draco chuckled. “Yes, you’re a VIP for today.”

Luna smiled widely, and she practically pounced on Draco as she hugged him. “Thank you so much! I can’t believe I get to hear them live and meet them! I better get ready!”

When she dashed off, Neville leaned over and whispered, “I hope you have earplugs ready for us.”

“Hrm?”

“I don’t know about you, but I don’t think my ears will appreciate millions of fangirls screaming for DBSK.”

“Oh, right.” Draco reached into his pockets and pulled out two pairs of earplugs. “I learned my lesson the last time I had to attend one of these things.”

Neville pulled Draco into a warm embrace. Draco felt warm lips grazing his forehead, and that gave him an idea. He arched upward, leaned in close until his breath ghosted over Neville’s ears, and said, “Want to try out some of those positions we saw at Love Land tonight?”

Draco sniggered at Neville’s sputtering and red face. He laughed even harder when Luna came out and asked, “Why so red, Nev?”

“He’s just a bit steamed up. Don’t worry about him.” Draco walked up to Luna, who was dressed in a simple black strapless dress. She had on tights that were striped in blue and bronze, and she wore a dangling kimbap earring. He held up an arm and said, “Let’s go, love.”

“Good morning!” Luna cheerfully greeted.

Draco and Neville stumbled towards the dining room. Neither were morning people, but they woke up early so they could pack and go back to England with Luna.

Draco stared at the plate in the middle of their table. It looked like carrot cakes, but they were cut into brownies. Both Draco and Neville sniffed the fragrance that permeated their whole place, and Draco knew then that whatever was on that plate was not carrot cake.

Neville cleared his throat and said, “Luna, is that . . . ”

“Oh, that? It’s my newest baking experiment. I couldn’t sleep last night, and I didn’t want to interrupt you two, so I made this — kimchi brownie!”

Instead of blushing, Draco and Neville both glanced at each other, and they both mirrored the other’s pale, blanched expression.

Click on the image for the larger version. Fanart by Heldrad.

“I baked this to thank you guys for the wonderful visit. The whole week has been fantastic, and last night was especially the best. All of the DBSK boys were adorable and fun. I especially loved talking to Changmin, and I am further convinced that he’s been reincarnated from a Nargle, which makes him extra special.”

Draco nodded and forced a smile on his face. “That’s great, Luna, and I am glad you had a wonderful visit, but, ah, I am not very hungry right now so I’ll try the brownies later, all right? Besides, Neville and I have to pack.”

Luna clapped her hands once. “Right! I need to pack, too! I’ll bring these brownies for our trip back to England. I’ve a feeling we might be receiving another visit from King Kong in Hong Kong, so these will come in handy. Plus, I can give some to Harry. He’ll love these.” She hummed and went to her room to pack.

Neville and Draco went to their room to pack, too. Behind the closed door, Draco muttered, “Don’t worry. I have some extra anti-acid potions for us.”

“Might as well save some for Harry, too. I’ve a feeling he’ll be eating most of those brownies,” Neville mentioned. “Oh, and are you sure Jaejoong will be able to take care of my plants?”

“He will. You know he aced herbology at his school.” Draco sniggered. “Otherwise, I can bring back Luna’s brownies and give them to him.”

“So cruel,” Neville teased as he carefully placed his grandmother’s gift, a beautiful celadon vase, in his trunk. “Still, I’m glad we’re going home for a week. It will be good to see everybody.”

“Yes.” Draco then added, “At least no one’s doorbell will play that blasted tune.”

“Someone really loves Beethoven, doesn’t he?”

“Ah, shut it, love. Let’s finish packing so we can take some of that potion. I’ve a very bad feeling we will be stuck in Hong Kong for a while. This is peak season for international Portkey travels.”

“Right. Do you really think King Kong hangs around in Hong Kong?”

Draco rolled his eyes and continued his packing.

“Draco! Vladimir is here. Remember, you have to take care of him this time.”

“I know, I know,” Draco groused. Despite his grumbling, he discovered that he and Vladimir got along way better than he and Hermes ever did. He served Vladimir some raw meat while Neville read out loud Luna’s letter.

Dear Draco and Neville,

Harry suggested that I send you some more kimchi brownies, so here’s another batch! I hope you guys enjoy these.

I really miss the two of you, and I am really thankful for all that you did for me when I visited last month.

The new school year at Hogwarts has started, and things have been incredibly busy. I’ve introduced Dong Bang Shin Ki to my Muggle Studies students, and all the girls love them. I’ve convinced Minerva to let Muggle electrical devices work just in my classroom. I’ve shown them all my DBSK DVDs, and I let them listen to their music any time they want.

Right now I am in the process of convincing Minerva to allow me to bring ten female students to South Korea during winter break for a few days. I’ve even told her that you’d be happy to house us while we are there. If you need assistance with room expansion charms, Harry will come along and lend a hand. He’ll be able to help me chaperone this winter. Ginny, too. She wants to come along and see the Korean brooms and purchase a few for her Flying class.

So what do you think? Will you be able to let us stay? Let me know as soon as possible!

Love,
Luna

P.S. — Hermes is now a father! When I come this winter, I’ll bring you one of his babies!

Draco and Neville stared at each other. Neither spoke for a while until Neville said, “Do you still have those earplugs?”

“Yeah. I guess we’ll need them if we host ten mad fangirls for a few days. Something tells me that Silencio will not block their squealing.”

Neville’s face turned green. “This will certainly be interesting.”

“Mmm . . . ” Draco scratched Vladimir’s head and asked, “Think I should introduce Luna to Super Junior?”

“If you do, you’re on your own hosting them this winter,” Neville deadpanned.

“But both Potter and Weasley are coming. You wouldn’t dare leave me defenceless against them and ten teenage girls, would you?”

“Well,” Neville conceded. “Fine, but introduce her to Super Junior after they leave!”

“Deal.”

There is only one admirable form of the imagination: the imagination that is so intense that it creates a new reality, that it makes things happen. — Sean O’Faolain

“But I don’t want to go to bed! I’m not tired!”

Draco let out an exasperated sigh and stared up at the ceiling and muttered, “Salazar, give me strength!” He turned towards the very stubborn seven-year-old, who was scowling and pouting at the same time, and he found it hard to believe that this pink-haired spawn was his first cousin once removed. Then again, it was rare Draco had to resort to calling Teddy a “spawn”. As an easy-going youngster, Teddy was an example of a child Draco could tolerate. Creative, kind, polite, and intelligent compared to his peers, Draco had grown fond of him in the last few years.

It was with this fondness, he grudgingly would baby-sit for Teddy. Sometimes Scarhead would watch over his godson, but ever since Andromeda Tonks and Narcissa Malfoy renewed their relationship, the two families had become closer after the war, so the baby-sitting job was more or less given to Draco.

At first, he’d been horrified by the request — no, an order — from his mother. Having grown up as an only child, he’d never had to deal with younger siblings, so his exposure to children was very low. He’d never forget his first baby-sitting experience. Teddy had just turned two, was still in nappies, and wasn’t great with talking yet. That meant Teddy was in the dreaded “Terrible Two” stage, and Draco endured the longest night of his life.

He’d hoped that the house elves would be able to help him, but his mother had forbidden elves to assist him. Distraught and nervous, he arrived at his aunt’s house to find a screaming toddler — a cranky toddler who’d missed his nap earlier — and it was up to Draco to calm Teddy down.

With his red hair and red, teary face, Teddy had looked more like a strawberry, and Draco spent the night cajoling Teddy to stop crying.

“Come on,” Draco had urged. “Do you want to colour? Play with a stuffed Crup? Want sweets?”

Teddy had remained uncooperative. “No! No wanna! No! No! No!” He’d cried when Draco had to feed him. He’d cried when Draco had to change him. He’d cried when Draco had tried to sing thirty renditions of “Weasley is Our King”.

Stumped and at the end of his limited patience, Draco had sunk in the sofa, exhaustion washing over him. He couldn’t believe this was the “angelic boy” he’d heard about from his mother. And he really couldn’t believe Teddy was denying sweets, something he thought all children liked! Finally, figuring it wouldn’t hurt and with nobody around to witness what he was about to do, he had brought his hands up to his mouth, grabbed the sides of his mouth, crossed his eyes, and stuck his tongue out while saying, “Blehblehblehblehblaaaah.”

Teddy had stopped and stared at him. Draco had felt a flare of hope, and he had done it again, making even stranger noises and even funnier faces. Teddy’s wide-eyed stare had turned crinkly, and he’d let out a squeal of delight. “Again!”

Amazed that this was what it took to stop a crying child, Draco had complied, and things finally had turned better for him as rest of the night passed with no problems.

Since then, Teddy adored Draco as a baby-sitter.

And Draco didn’t mind it. Now, he actually looked forward to entertaining Teddy.

But tonight was an unusual night; Draco was ready to hex something since he needed to get Teddy to sleep before his aunt came back, and he was certain his aunt would not like Teddy being drugged by a potion! He didn’t like that idea either, but the idea was very tempting.

Frowning, Draco threw out ideas. “Want to listen to music? Want to draw for a bit? Want to watch that loud contraption, the ‘Tell Lee’?”

“No, no, no.”

This was all starting to sound very familiar. Draco wondered if he should make faces like he did before, but he highly doubted it would work again. That sort of thing usually only worked once. Throwing his hands up in the air, he said, “Do you want me to tell you a story or something?!”

Teddy perked at the idea and jumped up at that. “Yeah! Can it be a homemade one? With animals! And don’t make wolves bad!” He pouted. “I’m tired of stories with bad wolves!”

Draco blinked, and then he remembered those Muggle stories he’d read together with Teddy before. Something about a Red Rider meeting a wolf with a taste for the elderly and these three pigs that met a wolf who enjoyed huffing and puffing. Teddy hadn’t enjoyed those, and he’d kept asking why the wolves are portrayed as a negative character. Smiling, he said, “I promise I won’t make the wolf bad in this story. But first, let’s wash you up and change into your pyjamas. While you do that, I’ll be thinking up a story.”

“Okay!” Teddy rushed off, and Draco breathed out in relief. Finally, he could get the little tyke into bed! However, he needed to quickly conjure up a good story, one with a good wolf and other animals. His mind went all over the place as he tried to make a good story from Teddy’s request, but his tired brain refused to work with him. Frantically, he thought of mythologies and legends he’d read as a child. He’d read so many of them before, some Old English ones, Germanic ones, Norse, Greek, and even Asian ones.

Just as he reached Teddy’s room, he finally came up with a workable tale. It wasn’t exactly fleshed out fully, but he’d add onto the story as he told it. Smugly, he remembered his acting days from his third year and his prideful moment as a songwriter in his fifth year. Despite what Pansy had said before, he did have a creative mind, and he would put it to good use once more.

Settling comfortably next to Teddy on the huge bed, he leaned against the headrest, covered Teddy up with a blanket, and put his arm around him. “You ready?”

Nodding eagerly, Teddy squirmed and gave one of his bright smiles. “Ready!”

Draco took a deep breath and opened his mouth to start. He’d almost started the story with “once upon a time”, and he mentally winced. He hated that opening. It sounded too fairy tale-ish and sappy! He caught himself just in time, and he continued with, “Long ago, back when there were many magical creatures still on the Isle, there was a young dragon and a young panther, and they’d become friends. The dragon, a Common Welsh Green named Nye, was sort of an outcast amongst his clan. He was quieter and gentler compared to his peers. He befriended a panther named Calais, who’d come from Greece where he’d been banished by his own clan there. Two magicians, Dionysus and Artemis, decided to let him come to the Isle, and with magic, they transported him here. You see, Calais — like Nye — was a very unique panther.”

Teddy nodded, urging Draco to continue, his eyes large and full of curiosity. “Why?”

“Do you know what a panther is?”

“A big cat. Like a lion? Cheetah?”

“You see a panther is a magical creature who looks like a big cat, but it has multi-coloured fur. Another thing about panthers is that they like to sleep in a cave after a big meal, and for three days and nights, they sleep. On the fourth day, they wake up and let out a mighty roar.” Draco roared loudly, causing Teddy to giggle. “While they roar, they let off a sweet-smelling scent that causes other creatures to come to their cave where it eats them. However, there is one creature that is not affected by the panther’s roar.”

“The dragon?” Teddy guessed.

“Yes. They are immune to it. Still, though, Calais had a problem. You see, he was a multi-coloured panther, but whenever he roared, his colours changed.”

“Like my hair?” Teddy asked in hushed tones. “Like my Metamorphmagus skill?”

“Yes, you could say he was a Metamorphmagus panther, but unfortunately for Calais, the other panthers were jealous and resentful of that skill. That was why he was banished. Anyway, one day Nye heard Calais’ roar, but he didn’t go to the cave because Calais’ lure didn’t work on him, but Nye kept hearing it periodically, and that made him curious. He one day ran into Calais, and the two of them had a horrible fight, both fighting for dominance, both scared and frightened of each other. Calais roared while Nye breathed out his own harmonic roar with his fiery breath. This went on for a while until they both tired themselves out.”

Draco paused, and Teddy said, “What happens next?”

“They talked to each other. You see, they each respected each other’s abilities, and that was when they realised how much they had in common despite being two different creatures. Their feelings of loneliness and social ostracism — feeling like they didn’t belong in their clan — bonded them in ways that would have never happened otherwise. They became great friends, and they even started to hunt together because they didn’t have to hunt the same food, so they helped each other.

“But for these two, it wasn’t enough. They could still see that they were different. One a dragon and one a panther, they weren’t satisfied.”

“Draco? Is this a love story?”

“And then — what?” Draco looked at the solemn expression on Teddy’s face. “Not . . . not really. No! It’s not! Now, let me get to the interesting part! Back then on the Isle, the creatures had a ruler. Not like a king or a queen, but more like someone who made sure nothing went wrong with the harmony between all the animal clans. He’d oversee everything, but he’d rarely interfere with the clans. He was the Wolf-King named Gwydion. He was cunning and he was able to do magic. In a sense, you could say he was the animal version of Merlin, but there was no King Arthur or any of his bungling knights. Somehow news of their unusual friendship reached him, and he visited Calais and Nye one day. Intrigued, he listened to their troubles, and he came up with a plan quickly when they finished their tale.

“It was to test whether they really wanted to do this or not. Gwydion’s plan was for them to stay in a cave for one-hundred days. For those one-hundred days, they could not leave the cave, and the only things they had to eat were some mugwort and twenty cloves of garlic.”

“That’s it?” Teddy wrinkled his nose. “Why yucky food?”

“That was all part of their test,” Draco explained, though he secretly agreed with Teddy on how the food did sound yucky. “Once they staved off their hunger and stayed in the cave for one-hundred days, they’d both be turned into a new species. That was Gwydion’s offer and plan, and both Calais and Nye took it. For the next one-hundred days, they both endured their hunger and the meagre and unappetising food. The cave they were in was very, very deep in the mountain, so they didn’t know if it was day or night, rain or shine, or hot or cold. They both tried to come up with ways to distract themselves. They’d talk about their younger days. They’d talk about what they’d planned to do when this was all over.

“Slowly, but surely, the days passed, and when it was finally the hundredth day, Gwydion appeared in their cave. Unbeknownst to them, Gwydion was very surprised to see that they both didn’t quit in their quest. He had predicted they wouldn’t have lasted through this test, but they did, and he kept his promise. There, he turned them into the first wizards of the Isle. Nye turned into a handsome blond man with a strong body, which had come in handy when he had to deal with taming the dragons later. Calais then became the world’s first Metamorphmagus.”

“Like me!” Teddy’s loud voice nearly made him go deaf.

“Yes, like you. But now they were wizards, they were the same species, and they were both happy to leave their past and focus on their future. And they were the ones who started up the wizarding world.”

“Wow. So . . . they did all this together. That’s brilliant . . . ”

A yawn overtook Teddy, and that prompted Draco to say, “I’m getting tired.”

“Me too.” Teddy wriggled into a lying position, and Draco helped tuck him in. “That was a great story. Can you tell it again? A lot?”

Draco chuckled. “Sure. Not every day, but I will tell you it again.”

“You lied, Draco.”

“I did?!” Draco’s eyebrows disappeared under his fringe. “How?”

“You said this wasn’t a love story. But it is! Two men can be lovers. My friend Tommy told me. But that’s what happened with Calais and Nye, and I hope it happens to me and you, too! I’m a Metamorphmagus like Calais, and your name means ‘dragon’, you got blond hair, so that means you’re Nye!”

Draco nearly spluttered unattractively, but he just held in his tongue and nodded, deciding to humour him.

“So when I grow up, I’m gonna learn how to be pa — pashient. I’m gonna eat a lot of mugthing and garlic, even if it’s yucky. And I’m gonna marry you. Okay?” A happy smile came onto Teddy’s sleepy face. Teddy’s eyes closed as he said, “It’s my promise. I’m gonna be like Calais . . . . ”

Silently, Draco smoothed Teddy’s turquoise — his happy colour — fringe, and he left, going down to the sitting room. There, he mulled over Teddy’s interesting and unique interpretation of the tale. He hadn’t expected Teddy to come up with anything dealing with homosexual relationships. And he definitely hadn’t expected the marriage proposal. A proposal he knew that would never be fulfilled since they were cousins, they were both male, and how could he forget the age difference? Not that it mattered since wizards live much longer than those Muggles, but Draco knew it was impossible.

Teddy was just saying stuff a child would say, and when Teddy was grown up, he’d find a nice witch — or a wizard if he did end up being gay — and he’d forget all about his marriage proposal. Draco was positive about this.

Four years later, on September 1, Draco accompanied Teddy, Andromeda, and — unfortunately — Harry Potter to Platform 9 and 3/4. All of them were there to see Teddy off to Hogwarts, and Draco could see that Teddy was excited and nervous.

“What if the Sorting Hat doesn’t put me anywhere? What if the classes are too hard? What if I get locked in a secret room for years and nobody finds me? What if nobody likes me because I’m a Metamorphmagus?” Draco blinked at the barrage of questions Teddy had thrown out. He was surprised that Teddy was so nervous when he’d been looking forward to it all summer.

The three adults all looked at each other over Teddy’s head. Harry was the one who said, “It will be all right. At least you know all the secrets I’ve told you about Hogwarts! I went there with no knowledge beforehand, so you’ll be in a much better position than me. And you have the Marauder’s Map.” Draco snorted, and Harry gave him a dirty look before saying, “So you can use that to help you.”

“That’s right,” Andromeda said, “you’ll be fine. And the hat will sort you; it always does. You’re a smart boy, so your marks will be excellent.”

“And,” Draco added, “people will like you. If they don’t like you for your Metamorphmagus skills, then they aren’t worth your time.”

When Andromeda and Harry stepped off to the side to say hello to a few people they saw, Teddy smiled shyly at Draco. “I’ll be like Calais, right? I’ll find a friend like Nye?”

Draco bit back a groan. He couldn’t believe Teddy still loved that story. “Yes, I’m sure you will find a friend like Nye.”

“Brilliant! I hope I do.” But then a sly look came on Teddy’s face. “But in the end you will be my Nye.”

“Teddy,” Draco said, raising an eyebrow.

But Teddy interrupted him. “I’m just kidding.”

Draco knew Teddy better than that, though. He knew that tone of voice. It was what Draco dubbed as Teddy’s ambitious voice, and Teddy usually ended up getting what he wanted, especially when the little bugger plotted and schemed to achieve his end. Again, all he hoped was for Teddy to outgrow that foolish idea and acted like a Slytherin in other endeavours. Years ago, Draco would have never guessed Teddy to be a Slytherin, considering his parents, but with him growing up with three Slytherins in his life, it made sense for Teddy to be influenced by them — despite being around one very prominent Gryffindor who Draco couldn’t seem to get rid of.

Sighing, Draco said, “Just do your best and be happy, okay?”

“I will, Draco.” Teddy hugged him, and Draco hugged him back.

“Owl me whenever you want.”

Teddy nodded against Draco’s chest, and it was time for the former to say goodbye to the others.

The next morning, Teddy’s owl attacked Draco. Cursing his head off at the damned bird, he soon forgot about his annoyance as he read Teddy’s short message.

I’m in Slytherin!!!!!!!! Just like you, Grandmamma, and Auntie Narcissa!!!!!

Feeling a burst of pride going through him, Draco quickly wrote a quick note to congratulate him before he headed to work.

Now, with this new chapter of Teddy’s life, he just hoped Teddy would forget that ridiculous marriage proposal.

“Your grandmother tells me you’re doing well in all your classes except for Potions,” Draco said neutrally. “Why’s that? Do you need help?”

It was after Christmas, and Draco found himself visiting his aunt’s place. Draco was actually glad for the company. With his parents holidaying in France, Draco was happy to escape the huge manor, where he only had the house elves and his father’s prancing and preening peacocks to keep him company. Andromeda was busy cooking, and Draco and Teddy were playing a round of chess.

Teddy wrinkled his nose at Draco’s question. “I understand it. Really, I do! But . . . it’s . . . the smell is too nasty.”

“I beg your pardon?” Draco stared at Teddy as if he’d grown three heads. “The smell?”

“I can’t stand them! The smell bothers me.”

“Oh.” Draco remembered Teddy’s powerful sense of smell. It had been passed onto Teddy as a side-effect of Remus Lupin’s curse; Draco was glad that Teddy didn’t get any of the other aspects of the curse. Though, from what he knew about wizarding genetics, he wasn’t quite sure why the sense of smell got passed onto him. He figured the curse mutated Remus’ genes or something.

“But I’ll do better. I want to do better. I just need to figure out a way to block the smell.”

“You will,” Draco reassured, but inwardly, he wasn’t sure how Teddy would solve it. But he wasn’t here to really muse on Teddy’s keen nose. He was here to tell Teddy something important. Something he’d just found out recently. “Teddy? I’ve got some news for you.”

“What?”

“I’ve been accepted by this potions mastery programme.”

Teddy grinned. “That’s great! You’ve wanted it for a while, right?”

“Yes, I have . . . ” Draco trailed off, feeling guilty with the next bit of news. He really didn’t want to crush Teddy’s happiness, but he had to tell him. “But . . . it requires me to be away for a long time.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Teddy’s large eyes widened and his hair went from turquoise to a dull shade of brown.

Draco awkwardly ran his hand through his hair. “It will be an overseas programme. And it’s long. About four or five years. That means I’ll not be on the Isle for the duration of my programme and even longer, especially if I open up that potion business I’ve been wanting, but with the Ministry’s regulations . . . I’ll have to start it in a foreign country, build up a good credibility, and then start another branch in England.”

Teddy’s lips turned more and more downward as he pouted. “That long? Does it have to be that long? I’m gonna be out of Hogwarts by the time you’re back! This . . . I don’t want you to go!” The chess game now forgotten, Teddy stood up quickly, ignoring the fallen pieces, and he gave Draco a sad look. “Can’t you just find another programme in England?”

Quietly, Draco said, “There are no other programmes that will accept me.”

“I hate those Ministry prats!”

“Teddy!” Draco’s own voice was just as sharp as Teddy’s. He was also surprised. Teddy usually did not talk ill of anyone.

“I do! They’re still punishing you and Auntie Narcissa and Uncle Lucius! I hate that! It isn’t fair!”

Draco nearly chuckled at Teddy’s petulant attitude. As mature as Teddy could be at times, it was moments like these that reminded him that Teddy was still a child. “Teddy, it’s okay. I don’t mind, really.” Well, he did, but he wasn’t about to admit that! “Besides, this will give me an excuse to go see the rest of the world and learn all its fine arts of potions making. It isn’t forever, and I will send you stuff through the International Owl Post.”

“Don’t bribe me. I’m not a little boy anymore.” But his scowl slowly disappeared, and it was replaced with a contemplative expression.

Now, Draco turned wary at that look. He’d seen enough of those over the years to know that Teddy was scheming something. “What are you plotting now?”

“Nothing. You’re right. This is a good chance for you. I shouldn’t have acted the way I did. Sorry.”

That threw Draco off for a loop, though the actual words weren’t what did him in. Instead, it was the calm way Teddy had delivered his statement, his face looking tranquil. He had expected Teddy to be upset, yes, but he hadn’t counted on Teddy to accept this . . . quickly.

And Draco didn’t find out the reasoning for all of this until many years later.

Still, at the moment, he accepted Teddy’s change of mood — after all, Teddy was in that pre-puberty stage, so he was bound to have mood swings here and there — and he said, “It’s okay. We’ll keep in touch, all right?”

“All right,” Teddy said, his hair turning back to turquoise, and he reached down to pick up the chess pieces. “New game? I’m gonna beat you this time.”

“Sure. When Weasley actually gets a brain.”

“Which Weasley?”

“All of them. With the exception of King Weasley’s wife,” Draco added grudgingly. And the two of them laughed as they resumed their game before Andromeda called them over for supper.

But in the end, they didn’t keep in touch.

Draco’s programme demanded more from him, and he did more travelling than he’d expected. Not to mention, some of his adventures were quite dangerous, and Draco couldn’t help but curse at those responsible for creating the programme. With some reckless tasks, some quite hare-brained and ridiculous, he wondered if a Gryffindor was the one who came up with the planning. Really, Draco’s idea of fun did not include the following: hunting down a magical snake the size of an anaconda for its venom — and what a grumpy and huge snake that was; suffering from the freezing weather — one that no warming charm could help — in Nunavut to visit a group of Inuits to learn their potions brewing . . . which just had to take place outside their slightly warmer homes; riding a camel through the burning inferno known as the Sahara Desert to look for a Potions master who took residence in the world’s most unplottable place — because the bugger was too damn paranoid and insane to live near a civilised area; hiking for a week over the Alps to look for a plant they needed for an ingredient . . . only to be told it was in the sodding Black Forest; climbing another bloody mountain — this time in the Himalayas — to find yet another Potions master who was a recluse; and scuba diving in Australia to obtain some underwater plants as ingredients.

He enjoyed the last one, especially seeing the coral reefs — though he didn’t quite enjoy the ideas of sharks and poisonous jellyfishes lingering around in the ocean with him — but the rest were quite questionable on their fun factor. Then again, he really shouldn’t complain so much. He should be satisfied they hadn’t sent him to Antarctica. What would he do there? Observe the penguins to see if they really walk and waddle like some stiff butler and freeze his own arse off?

After doing plenty of continents hopping, Draco finally settled himself down in Japan. Tokyo to be more specific. He spent the last year of his mastery programme to study about Japanese potions making, especially the older techniques from the Edo era, which was becoming a lost art, so Draco was pleased to learn something he can pass down to future generations if he were ever given the chance.

When he finally finished his programme, he started up his potion business, and he buried himself into his newest project. When he wasn’t brewing stuff for the business, he was busy managing and financing the place. Draco simply didn’t have much time to keep in contact with his family back on the Isle, though he did manage to send letters back home, and he did send some souvenirs back for Teddy, but otherwise, he wasn’t able to visit once.

Luckily, though, his business succeeded without much hassles. Sure, he had to deal with stupid customers here and there, but the end result was clear — he’d succeeded.

“Finally,” he said, going to a rare party with his co-workers, sipping on sake or beer and eating yakiniku, a favourite of his. Taking a bite of the grilled meat, he continued, “I can go back home.”

“You sound happy,” Chikao said.

Draco smiled slightly at his business partner. Yamamoto Chikao was his first friend in Japan, and they occasionally had kept each other company in bed, but they were just good friends, and Draco knew their relationship would never progress from that. “Yeah. It’s been years . . . I’ll bet so many things have changed.”

“Good luck over there. I’ll come visit you after you get settled.” Chikao reached out and covered Draco’s hand with his. “And yes, things will have changed. I’m sure you will be in for a pleasant surprise.”

“You better visit. I did promise you a tour of London.” Draco grabbed his mug of beer and raised it. “Cheers.”

Chikao’s brown eyes, usually vibrant with happiness, looked sad. But he still smiled and picked his own drink up. “Kanpai. Or as you English would say, cheers! Let’s drink to your success here and more success waiting for you in England.”

“Thanks, Chikao.” Draco drank the rest of his beer and then looked around. He had so many friends and acquaintances here. He was definitely going to miss them.

Draco was definitely in for a pleasant surprise. Apparently, while he was gone, Hermione Granger-Weasley along with Minister Shacklebolt and Harry Potter, managed to tone down the harsh regulations against “former Death Eaters” like him. Meaning, when he did all his paperwork for his business, he didn’t meet much opposition like he’d expected several years ago. He’d been expecting much bureaucratic bullshit to slow him down, and while he was slowed down, he’d planned to meet and enjoy some time with his friends and families. However that idea was shot down as he found himself in a whirlwind of activities as the days passed by him.

He had to oversee the renovation process of his business location, making sure all the proper supplies were purchased and funded for. As that went on, he established business contracts with other businesses he’d want to deal with in the future. One of them was with Neville Longbottom’s herbology business, and he was pleased he signed the contract with the best herbologist on the Isle.

Even Neville seemed eager for their contract

“Any time you need a specific plant, I’ll be sure you get them,” Neville had said cheerfully.

Surprised by the lack of hostility, Draco had nodded slowly. “Er, thank you, Mr Longbottom.”

“Neville. And with your permission, may I call you Draco?”

“Yes . . . Neville, you may call me that.” With a final handshake, Draco had left feeling quite flabbergasted. Neville’s pleasantries were quite unexpected.

But Draco found more surprises during his quest to find a general manager for his own business. Even though he was the owner, he still wanted a manager to help him run the business, and he ended up interviewing quite a few people — some who were questionable at best, and some who nearly choked Draco by the strength of their horrible perfume or cologne. In the end, he found himself choosing Luna Lovegood of all people. Surprisingly enough, he found Luna to be quite intelligent, and she was actually pretty “normal” compared to the other people he’d met. Sure, she talked about the strangest things at random times, but after dealing with eccentric characters in Japan and all over the world, he could tolerate Luna. Besides, he was impressed by her organisational skills and by her knowledge in potions, herbology, and magical creatures.

It wasn’t long before his business was up and running, and he found out quickly that having Luna around was a definite asset. She had a way with the workers, as Draco found out.

“Hello, Draco!” Luna waved a fat folder in Draco’s face. “Here are the reports you’ve requested.”

“Thank you.” Draco paused as he took the folder. “I saw Mr Nottingham with a dazed expression just a while ago. Did you talk to him about how he has to always double-check the numbers before submitting them into the reports?”

“Oh, yes, I did. I told him that, and then we had a lovely conversation for the next three hours on how it’s important to hunt down Nargles every morning because it’ll revitalise you for a brand new day!”

Draco blinked. “Three hours?”

“It was wonderful. I can’t wait to have another conversation with him again.”

And that was Luna’s effective management skills. Whenever an employee made a mistake or did something problematic, Luna would take care of the situation. She was never intimidating, and she was never rude or nasty, but the employees quickly learned that it was better to do their jobs efficiently instead of poorly. The idea of being subjected to three or more hours of discussing Luna’s topic of the day was a good punishment.

Draco shuddered. It was a punishment he never wanted to suffer himself.

“Draco?” Luna walked into his spacious office. She eyed the blank walls. “You really need to put some colour in here. All this white space . . . it’s not healthy for you. Nargles like colourful places, so you really should make it more inviting for them.”

Setting his quill down, Draco gave Luna a look. “I’m sure you didn’t come here to give me yet another lecture about my office, did you? I’ll get arou–”

“Actually, this will be a perfect project to give to the new intern!”

“Intern? What intern?”

Taking a seat on the drab looking chair in front of Draco’s desk, Luna gave him a bright-eyed, eager stare. “That’s what I came to ask you about. I was wondering if we could have an intern or two here. It will be beneficial to your business and to the interns, of course.”

Draco raised an eyebrow. “But we’re still a new business. Do we really need interns right now?”

“Why not? We could try a trial-run, and if it works, we could implement this as a regular business project.”

“Well, you’re right. We could try it and see if it works,” Draco admitted. “Okay, Luna, you have my permission.”

Luna beamed. “Thank you, Draco! And I already have a list of candidates here! You want to hear some of their names?”

“As long as–” Just then, an owl from the International Owl Post came flying in, and he could see Chikao’s familiar handwriting on the attached letter. Quickly, he opened and read the letter, and as his eyes scanned the words, he continued, “I’ll have to go to Japan for a few days. Apparently there’s some financial incident I have to check out.” Draco smiled tightly. “As for your intern selection, I trust your judgement. Just don’t choose someone destructive and dangerous like a Weasley.”

Smiling, Luna said, “All right. Hope you settle the problem in Japan.”

As she left the room, Draco began to grab all the necessary files he needed to take with him to Japan, and he never once noticed the almost calculating and scheming look on her serene face.

As soon as Draco got back from Japan, he went straight to his business. The trip had been stressful, but the financial problems he’d had to deal with were finally settled. There was nothing more he wanted than to just stay in the manor and enjoy a nice long bath and some good alcohol, but he had a business to run, and he couldn’t really neglect his responsibilities. Grudgingly, he trudged into his office, ready to drop dead in his chair, but he stopped and stared at the huge, moving dragon that greeted him.

Thankfully, it wasn’t a real dragon, but the life-like moving painting of it on his wall behind his desk nearly made him shout with fear at first. The bloody mural actually glared at him, and Draco glared back. He wasn’t about to let a mere painting try to take command over him! He looked closely, and that was when he realised the dragon was a Common Welsh. He blinked and noticed the other changes to his office. The walls were no longer white. The walls were painted in the deepest shade of forest green, and its borders were trimmed in silver. Slowly he spun around, and he saw the different curtains on his windows, the plush new furniture that replaced the boring looking ones he had before, and even the carpet had changed from an old, dim grey one to a lush, fluffy cream-coloured carpet.

But it was the wall opposite from his desk that caught his eyes. It was yet another mural. A mural of a panther. It had multi-coloured fur, and it, too, was animated like the dragon. Only problem was, its fur changed colours, and it blinded him horribly like those awful disco lights he’d seen in a club once in Tokyo.

A dragon? A panther? Who . . . who had decorated his office? He felt like he should know the answer, know the significance of all this. A faint niggling was bugging him in the back of his head, but he was too tired to grasp that concept and concentrate on it. Not to mention, he’d only been at work for three minutes, and he already had a blinding headache.

A loud knock irritated his throbbing head more. “Come in,” Draco gritted out.

Luna entered with a cheerful smile. “Welcome back! How was Japan? Do you like your office?”

Draco sat down in one of his new chairs in front of his desks, and he glared at her. “Did you decorate my office?”

“That’s not a greeting. Don’t be so rude by answering a question with a question. But to answer your question, no, I did not decorate it. I haven’t had the time. I told you I was going to get one of the interns to do it, and one volunteered happily to do so! Isn’t it lovely?”

Lovely? Draco wasn’t quite sure if he’d call his new office lovely, but it certainly wasn’t bad or anything. Just not exactly conventional. “I see. An intern. And who might this intern be?”

Luna nodded towards the open door. “You can meet him now.”

Despite his headache, Draco jumped out of his chair in surprise when Teddy walked inside. He immediately knew it was Teddy; he didn’t know anybody else with turquoise hair, and even though it’d been a long time since they’d seen each other, Draco still recognised that quirky smile and that single dimple in his cheeks. What he didn’t recognise, though, was Teddy’s height and build. Last time he saw Teddy, the latter had only come up to his shoulders and had been quite skinny and gawky. Now, Teddy was taller than him by a couple of inches, and he was definitely well-built. The broad shoulders, the strong-looking arms . . . did Teddy really grow up into this handsome man?

Then there was the voice. It was deep, much deeper than he remembered Teddy from before, and it washed over him, sending shivers down his back. “It’s been a while, Draco,” Teddy said lazily, giving a smile that nearly turned Draco into a puddle of Draco-goo.

“I, er, yes.” Draco quickly composed himself, or at least he tried. He nearly lost his composure once more when Teddy had stride over and practically launched himself into a crushing a hug. A hug that allowed him to smell Teddy’s subtle cologne. It had a woodsy scent, and it left him feeling quite dizzy. He felt a tell-tale stirring in his groin, and his mind went blank as he wondered just why Teddy was causing him to react like this.

“I’ve missed you so much, Draco,” said that wonderful, deep voice.

Draco looked over Teddy’s shoulder, and he saw that Luna had already left, the door to his office closed. “So did I.” And he did. He had missed Teddy over the years, and he was sorry he hadn’t been in contact much.

Teddy let go of Draco with a smile. He gestured to the walls. “Do you like them?”

“Well . . . I should have guessed it was you! I can’t believe you still remember that story even until now.”

“I could never forget that story. It really did make a big impact on my life.” Something about the way Teddy said that gave Draco some strange ideas. Ideas he really didn’t want to think about.

He decided to change the subject. Moving over to an armchair, he sat in it, indicating Teddy to have a seat, too. After Teddy sat, Draco continued, “I’m surprised you took the internship here. Did you get over your problems with Potions?”

Teddy nodded eagerly. “I was doing terrible in that class. But I finally figured out a way to survive it. I discovered that if I use a clothes peg on my nose, my sense of smell is blocked!”

Draco stared. “A clothes peg?”

Teddy nodded.

“That sounds . . . ” He couldn’t help but wince at that image. His own nose felt sore hearing that. “Painful.”

“I figured out an excellent numbing spell that works. I use that and then put the clothes peg on my nose. And before you ask, I tried the scent blocking spell on my nose. It didn’t quite work, but this works better!”

Draco had to admit it was a rather interesting method. “Whatever works.”

Teddy glanced at his wrist to see the time. “I have to get back to work in a bit, but we should have dinner one day. Just you and me. I want to hear about your travels.”

Something about the way Teddy said “just you and me” made Draco feel a bit excited and apprehensive. He remembered Teddy’s interpretation of that story years ago. Did Teddy still believe in that interpretation? That was only something a child would come up with, right? Surely, the adult Teddy wouldn’t still cling to that. Draco shifted in his seat and cleared his throat. “Sure. Dinner would be nice.” He’d act neutral. He would do nothing to encourage that silly idea, in case Teddy still believed in it.

“Great!” Teddy smile was contagious, and Draco found himself smiling, too. “I better go do what I need to do. I love Luna, but I am not in the mood for her lectures.”

“Those can be quite educational, at least,” Draco said.

“Sure, but not for five hours! The other intern who signed up with me had to endure that.”

“I guess she upgraded . . . it used to be three.”

“Pity for all of us!” Teddy gave one last grin, and he left.

Draco, alone in his newly decorated office, laughed, too, albeit uneasily. He felt like something about all of this would go down the route he didn’t want it to go through. Sure, he couldn’t deny Teddy’s hot body and that even sexier voice, but this was a road he did not want to trespass. Teddy was family, his “little” cousin he used to baby-sit! And although the age differences between them wouldn’t matter since magical folks like them have a much longer lifespan, Draco didn’t want to ruin any familial relationship he had with Teddy or even his aunt Andromeda!

Groaning, Draco let his face fall to his hands. He better make sure that whenever they had that dinner, it wouldn’t be just the two of them alone!

“I’ve been told you’re doing great with your internship,” Draco complimented casually one day, when he passed by Teddy in the corridors.

“Thanks, Draco!” Teddy said, beaming. “When are we going to do that dinner?”

The close proximity to Teddy made his stomach feel funny. Then again, Teddy looked good as usual, and with his shirt’s sleeves rolled up, he could see Teddy’s arm quite nicely, and guys with nice arms were one of Draco’s weaknesses. He averted his gaze to Teddy’s face — which was a bad idea because that dimple, that smile, and that strong jaw line made him want to touch Teddy in ways that were definitely not friendly or platonic.

Remembering Teddy’s question, Draco said, “Dinner?” He pretended to act obtuse. “Oh, well, Aunt Andromeda invited me tonight, so we’ll do dinner then.”

“But I thought we’d do dinner just you and me one of these days.”

“Well, I–”

“Oh, there you are, Draco!” For once Draco was glad that Luna’s tendency to interrupt whenever inappropriate was actually appropriate for once. “I need you to look at these reports! I need you to do it now!”

Trying not to sigh in relief, he nodded. “All right. Let’s go to my office.” He glanced at Teddy. “I’ll see you tonight, all right?”

“All right.”

Walking away, he never saw the calculating look in Teddy’s eyes.

Chikao made a surprise visit to London, and Draco was thrilled to have his close friend here. After meeting Chikao for lunch, Draco suggested they relax at his office for a while, and it was there, Teddy met Chikao for the first time.

“Oh! Teddy. You need something?” Draco was surprised Teddy came to visit now. Normally, Teddy didn’t really visit until closing time.

“I didn’t realise you had a guest,” Teddy said in a rather low voice, which made Draco frown in confusion.

“Oh. This is Chikao Yamamoto. He was my friend and business partner in Japan. He’s here for a brief visit.”

Chikao stood up to greet Teddy with a smile. “You must be his cousin. Draco talked about you a lot when he was in Japan. He extended a hand, and Teddy reached out to grab it briefly.

“Nice to meet you.” Draco heard the slight edge to Teddy’s normally easy-going voice. Before he could ask if something was wrong, Teddy thrust out a parchment. “I’m doing this handwriting analysis thing for a friend. Can I ask you and Mr Yamamoto to sign this parchment?”

Draco blinked. “Sure.”

“Mr Yamamoto? Please sign on this part.” And when Chikao finished signing the paper with his name, Teddy gave the parchment to Draco. “And Draco? Sign here.”

Draco eyed the only space that was available. The middle. He wordlessly signed the paper, wondering why Teddy was doing this strange project. “Here you go.”

“Thanks, Draco! And thank you, Mr Yamamoto.” Teddy quickly left.

Chikao eyed him. “I think he likes you.”

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous,” Draco snapped.

“He does. He’s jealous of me.”

“He’s not! Don’t be coming up with any of that psycho-analysis jibberish you love.”

“Draco?” Chikao eyed the dragon and the panther, turning his head back and forth to look at both. “You told me one time when you were drunk about your cousin declaring a marriage proposal to you after you told a story about a dragon and a panther. What would you do if he still believed in it?”

Trying not to turn red and trying not to get angry, he answered, “It’s just a childish whim he came up with at the age of seven! He’s an adult now. He can’t still believe in that.”

“But what if he does? And you can’t deny that he’s good looking.”

“He’s family! He’s someone I baby-sat for, for Merlin’s sake!”

Chikao let out a soft laugh. “When we were dating other people in Japan, you’ve had plenty of admirers you didn’t find desirable. I’ve never seen you get so emotional about this. With Teddy, you’re quite defensive.”

“Chikao? Damare.” Draco glowered at his friend, hoping Chikao would shut up like he’d said in Japanese.

“Just give him a chance. Maybe he’s the one you’ve been looking for all these years. You’ve never allowed anyone to get close to you, but with Teddy . . . I sense something different about you.”

“Chikao,” Draco said warningly.

“Okay, okay. I’ll stop talking about this. Just for that, you owe me an expensive dinner.”

“Prat.”

Chikao rolled his eyes. “Baka.”

“I’m not a fool.”

“You can be. Now, about that dinner . . . ”

“You’ve got to be joking,” Draco said in a flat voice, his arms crossed over his chest.

Teddy shook his head. “It was the only way I could think of to get you to go on at least one dinner with me.”

“But, but–” Draco spluttered unattractively. “I can’t believe you did this! You got everyone’s signatures, you deliberately left a space in the middle for mine, you erased everyone else’s signatures, and then you write a contract out above it?! A contract for us to go on a date? Just us two?!”

Teddy’s eyes twinkled and a smug look came onto his handsome face. Draco had never wanted to punch someone’s face for manipulating him like that. Teddy waved the parchment around and said, “Well, you’ve left me with no choice. You keep only having dinner with Grandmamma and me. You’re just as sneaky, claiming you’re always busy and whatnot . . . so I had to come up with an idea to get you to do dinner! And why are you thinking of this as a date? It’s not a date. It’s just dinner. That’s what the contract said. You’re the one who came to the conclusion that it’s a date.”

“Oh, for the love of . . . ” Draco glared. “Fine! We’ll do that dinner you so want once! Just once!”

“Great! Tomorrow night at seven, then? Meet me at Trafalgar Square.” Draco’s frown turned into a petulant pout. “And you’re pouting.” Teddy sniggered. “It suits you.”

“I’m not pouting.” And right after Draco said that, he realised that somehow their roles had reversed. Teddy was acting like the adult now, and Draco was the one acting like a child. That only made him more exasperated, and he announced, “I’ve got work. Go back to whatever you need to do.”

“Will do.”

As Teddy walked — no skipped — out of his office, Draco glared at the panther that looked as if it were mocking him, too. “Oh, piss off!” he yelled at his wall, not caring that he was shouting at a bloody mural.

Draco was surprised. The so-called “dinner” was actually turning out to be fun. Talking to Teddy over wine and food was comfortable, and Teddy was a good conversationalist. There were plenty for them to talk about — about Teddy’s years at Hogwarts, about Draco’s travels, about the business . . . it was as if he were talking to Chikao, but it felt right.

Then there was a matter with Teddy’s clothes. With black trousers that were cut to emphasise his legs and his delectable, well-shaped arse and along with the button up shirt that wasn’t buttoned all the way up to reveal a nicely sculpted chest, Draco couldn’t help but stare indiscreetly as he could. Of course, combined with the clothes that showed off a very nice body, Teddy’s happiness and his smiles also drew Draco out of his sullenness to enjoy this as much as he could.

And three hours later, they’d ended up at Teddy’s flat, and Draco felt like he’d gone to a very strange place. The first thing he noticed when he walked in was the mantel of Teddy’s fireplace. It was a normal looking mantel and fireplace, but on the mantel was a stuffed dragon and a stuffed panther. That wasn’t the only thing he saw of Calais and Nye. There was a custom-made poster of a dragon and a panther entwined together, a very huge poster of them that was. What made it worse was that the poster was animated. That meant the dragon and the panther were moving — moving and gyrating against each other in a way that made Draco feel strangely aroused. Even worse, there was another poster of what he assumed were the human version of Calais and Nye, and the men in the poster — also animated — had their arms around their half-naked bodies. At first they looked at Draco happily, but then they had started a huge snog fest. With tongues and everything, their hands sweeping all over their bodies, Draco’s arousal grew. Thankfully, his own trousers were baggy enough to hide his discomfort, but he still felt embarrassed.

Maybe it was the wine or maybe it was his own stupidity, but the next thing he blurted was, “Why are you obsessed with a story like that?!”

“Eh?” Teddy gave Draco a wide-eyed stare. “I’m not that obsessed.”

Draco made a wild gesture at the posters and the stuffed animals. “You have all these! And you decorated my office with them! I’d say that’s obsessed!”

Teddy grinned sheepishly. “Maybe, but the posters and the stuffed animals are all gifts from friends.”

Draco was not hearing this. “You . . . you told your friends about this story?”

“Yes, but don’t worry! I didn’t tell them where I heard the story. It was just that we were talking about our favourite stories growing up, and I told them this one, and they all liked it, too, and so some of them gave me these over the years as birthday presents.”

” . . . I see.” Draco glanced at the human poster again. Calais at that point had his hands down Nye’s pants, and Draco didn’t need much imagination to know what Calais was doing currently. Draco looked away, his own cheeks warming up, and he could feel himself getting more and more aroused. “I, er, I see.”

Teddy’s hand landed on Draco’s shoulder, and that sent a huge jolt of pleasure down his spine. “You all right? We could move to another room. I have a study behind that door. It has nothing of Calais and Nye.”

Trying not to sound strangled, Draco shook his head and said, “It’s fine.” He stepped away from Teddy and sat in an armchair. Unfortunately, that gave him a great view of the two randy men. Draco eyed the couch, but he quickly figured sitting on a couch next to Teddy would allow them a chance to be in an incrimination position. Stiffly, he looked down at the coffee table.

“I’ve got some brandy. Want some?”

“Sure,” Draco said, glad that his voice sounded normal again. He looked up to see Teddy watching him intently. Teddy’s eyes, which were hooded and half-closed, made his insides churn with lust. “Teddy?” Draco breathed out. “The brandy.”

“Right, right. Be right back!”

Teddy’s absence gave him some room to breathe, and Draco calmed himself down. He couldn’t believe it. First Teddy had sort of “betrayed” him with that so-called contract, and now his own libido was starting up a coup to make him feel confused and horny towards Teddy. And then of course Chikao’s words from before came back to him. All of this was really not helping Draco at all!

When Teddy came back with the brandy, Draco gladly accepted it, seeing it as a welcomed distraction. “Not bad,” he said, pleased by Teddy’s choice of brandy.

“I like it,” Teddy affirmed. He set his own glass on the table and he sat on the couch. “Can we do this again?”

“What?”

“Dinner? I’m asking you for permission. I don’t want to resort to another contractual method.”

Draco hesitated. He knew he should say no. He knew he should end this. But he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to say no. He enjoyed this, minus the near-pornographic posters, and he did like Teddy and even felt sexual attractions no matter how much he tried to tell himself to not feel that way. “Well, I suppose. Dinner here and there won’t hurt.”

“Great!” Teddy looked so excited. Draco nearly expected Teddy to throw himself on top of him for a crushing hug, but to Draco’s disappointment Teddy didn’t.

And for the rest of the night, Teddy acted normal. They drank, talked, and joked, and when Draco left the flat, he almost wanted Teddy to stop him.

The next couple of weeks after their “dinner”, Draco’s attractions towards Teddy grew. Draco could not remember the number of times he had to wank himself off in private; he even had to double-check that he hadn’t been turned into a teenager since the amount of wanking he did was just ridiculous! And he blamed it all on Teddy! Every day Draco saw Teddy, and every day Teddy grew hotter and hotter.

One day, Teddy had got into an accident, and his entire shirt had got wet. Draco had the unfortunate timing of running into him, and after seeing Teddy’s torso through the wet shirt, Draco couldn’t get rid of that image for the rest of the day.

Another day, the staff all decided to get ice cream, and Teddy had to get a vanilla cone of all things. Draco nearly combusted from the way Teddy had licked the ice cream, the way some of it had gotten on the side of his lips . . . Draco nearly went up to Teddy to lick it off himself!

Then whenever they were at dinner or whenever they were alone, Teddy was always close to him, but he never touched Draco. All Draco could do was to feel the warmth from Teddy’s body and smell that familiar scent that screamed of Teddy.

How could he not wank when Teddy tempted him this much?

At this rate, Draco was going to go mad. Either that or his right hand would become permanently attached to his cock.

Draco wasn’t sure which was worse.

Or better.

Hell, even Luna noticed and said something. They were in Draco’s office as usual, and Luna said, “I guess you’ve run into some Nargles.”

“Say what?”

“You look frustrated. And if you’ve run into Nargles, that means you’re sexually frustrated.”

“Luna!”

“What?” She gave a confused look. “Did I say something untrue?”

He turned red, despite trying to stay composed. “I’m not what you say I am.”

“Oh, Draco. Your lying skills are terrible.” He bristled at that comment, but she went on. “And it’s okay! Why don’t you take a day off tomorrow? Teddy’s off, too. He said he had to go look for some new magical creatures! Something about a pink ostrich, except it’s really small. I hope he finds it! I want to see it, too! I can get my dad to write about it in The Quibbler.”

Draco just laughed and shook his head. “You’re something else.”

“Thank you! Now, if you show up for work tomorrow, I’ll take that as a sign that you’re willing to talk about the mating rituals of Nargles.”

That was Luna-ese for a ten-hour — yes, she’d upgraded again! — lecture. “Uh, you do realise I’m the owner, here?”

“Yes, but you need a day off. So if you come, we’ll just talk for the whole day!”

Only thing Draco could respond to that was with a groan.

“I can’t believe I’m here,” Draco muttered to himself, standing in front of Teddy’s flat. It was early morning, and he came here, hoping to catch Teddy before he did what Luna said he might do. Some pink ostrich hunting? He doubted the validity of Luna’s statement, but he figured he should try to catch Teddy before he went anywhere.

Taking a deep breath, Draco knocked on the door, and he waited.

The door opened quickly, and he saw Teddy’s surprised face. “Draco? Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”

“Someone told me that you were going to go on a hunt for some pink ostrich. That someone also told me to . . . ”

“Yes?” Teddy looked at Draco bewilderedly.

Maybe it was the sexual frustration. Maybe it was the fact that he was losing his mind. Whatever it was, he blurted out, “You’re driving me bonkers!”

Teddy blinked and stepped aside. “Let’s talk inside, okay?”

Draco could only nod, and he went inside, went back to that dreaded sitting room with the dreaded posters, and yes the posters were being naughty again. Draco’s own arousal stirred to life, and he felt himself turning hard almost instantly at the snogging couple and the gyrating animals on the wall.

Still staring at the posters, he felt Teddy’s hand on his shoulder. Its grip turned tight and he heard Teddy’s husky voice asking, “Are you all right?”

“Yeah,” Draco lied. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not. Don’t lie. I can smell it.”

Draco spun around, and he looked at the smirk on Teddy’s face. “What?”

Teddy’s hand traced one of Draco’s thighs, and it took all of Draco’s control to not moan at that touch. “You’re aroused. I can smell things like that aside from those potions.”

“What?!” Draco grew dizzy after shouting that. “Wait, that means all those other times . . . ”

“Yes, I could smell your desire then.”

“And you didn’t do anything?”

“Of course not!” Teddy looked very affronted. “That wouldn’t be right! I might be manipulative, but I am not going to do anything non-consensual! I was waiting for you to make the first move!”

“And you were deliberately teasing me?”

“You can come to your own conclusions about that,” Teddy said calmly. “But . . . Draco, I really do like you.”

Draco was just about to go on a tirade on Teddy’s teasing, but he stopped when he heard the soft declaration. “You . . . you still believe in that marriage proposal?”

“Well, now that I’m old enough to realise that we’re not granted marriage licences like the heterosexual couples, no. I don’t believe in the proposal, but I do believe that I do like you. No. Love. For me, it’s always been love.”

The frankness of Teddy’s delivery unsettled Draco. He couldn’t believe Teddy liked — no loved — him all these years. It was impossible, really! How could Teddy choose him of all people? “Teddy, you know that . . . that story was just a story! It was never meant to be an allusion to us or anything.”

“It was, though.”

“How?” Draco snapped. “Just because a dragon that turned into a blond wizard and a panther that turned into a Metamorphmagus is similar to us, doesn’t mean it’s us!” Draco started to pace, and Teddy’s strong arms reached out to stop him, and somehow, Draco wasn’t sure how, he’d ended up against the wall, and Teddy was in front of him. He could feel Teddy’s legs against his, could feel Teddy’s warm breath mingling with his own, and Draco reached out to put his own hands on Teddy’s shoulders. “How?” he repeated in a low voice.

“Well, you know when you told me you had to leave the country for your mastery programme? I saw that as a symbolism for what Calais and Nye had to go through.”

That explanation was not expected. “What?!”

“That was why, back then, I didn’t argue or beg for you to stay. I didn’t want you to go, but I figured we had to overcome our own trials and tribulations to achieve what I saw as our goal. Only, I kind of wished we’d just done the mugwort and garlic thing instead. At least it would have only lasted one-hundred days instead of seven years.”

Feeling his mouth go dry at the comparison, Draco opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. By now Teddy’s lips were close to his. He nearly felt Teddy’s lips, and he longed for that gap to be closed.

“Draco? I do love you. I always will. But if you don’t feel the same way, I will not force you to do anything.” Teddy let go of his hold, and he stepped back, giving a small smile. “But I am telling you what I’ve always wanted to tell you as an adult. I’ve told you what I wanted as a child, but I was too young then to know better. But now, I know for sure. I know we’re supposed to be family, but . . . I don’t care about that.”

“I . . . ” Draco’s voice was caught. What did he want? He knew he physically wanted Teddy. His body was honest about that much, but emotionally and mentally, what did he want? Almost two decades had passed since ending of the war that had nearly fucked up his life. Finally, his life was slowly getting settled. He had his mastery and a good business. He had many liaisons with his previous lovers, but none of them meant anything to him. None of them made him feel content like the way he felt around Teddy. Chikao came the closest, but even with Chikao, he couldn’t commit to anything long-term.

But with Teddy . . . even though they were related, his feelings had somehow changed in the last few months.

“Draco?” Teddy gave another small smile — this time it was tinged with sadness. “I’ll respect your decision.”

Teddy took another step back, and he was about to turn around, but Draco stopped him. Draco reached out to wrap his arms around Teddy’s neck, and he leaned in closer to kiss the lips he’d been wanting.

The kiss was powerful. One little kiss turned into a snog, and next thing Draco knew, his back was against that wall, and Teddy’s delicious body pressed hard against him. Hands flew everywhere, touching everything it could reach. Teddy’s warm hands touched Draco’s bare torso, making him shiver with want. He slipped his hands through Teddy’s hair, which were now red, and Draco tilted his neck when he felt Teddy’s lips there.

It was intense, so passionate, and Draco didn’t want it to end. He bumped his hips into Teddy’s, and he could feel Teddy’s hardness, and when his cock bumped up against Teddy’s, Draco felt like time was slowing down.

“Teddy, oh, Teddy,” Draco panted. He reopened his eyes to look at Teddy, but instead, over Teddy’s shoulder, he saw the mantel with the stuffed animals. Below it, he saw a face. “Luna?!”

That broke the spell, and Teddy stumbled backwards, making Draco regret the loss.

“Oh, I see you guys decided to not go hunt the pink ostriches. A shame, really.”

“For Merlin’s sake, Luna, what’s the matter?” Draco tried to straighten his clothes, and he willed his blush to go away.

“Oh, I need the two of you to come in today! I need both of your help. I’ll see you in a bit!” Luna’s head disappeared.

Draco turned to look at Teddy, who was quite flushed. “I, er, sorry? She . . . she has the tendency to interrupt a lot.”

“Duly noted,” Teddy said, but he grinned. “Well. Next time, let’s make sure she’s occupied with something.”

Draco sniffed, pretending to be annoyed. “What makes you think there will be a next time?”

“Oh, I’ll find a way. I’ll make you take me to Tokyo.”

“Huh?”

“And I want to visit one of those love hotels that are famous there.”

Draco scowled. “And what if I don’t do that.”

“Then I’ll blackmail you! I’ve got loads of embarrassing stories about you. Like that time you tried to beat me in a chocolate eating contest and vomited afterwards? I was only eight then, and how embarrassing would it be if words got around that you got beaten like that?”

Draco slapped Teddy’s shoulder and groaned. “Since when did a person like you, a person who had a Gryffindor father and a Hufflepuff mother, become such a little, sneaky prat?”

Teddy grinned evilly. “I had several great role models growing up!”

” . . . Don’t lump me with Potter.”

“Well,” Teddy said contemplatively. “He did almost get sorted into Slytherin.”

“Don’t remind me.” Draco rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll take you to Tokyo one day, but we’re not going into one of those establishments!”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

“Okay. Thanks, Nye.”

“And don’t call me that! Let’s go!” Draco stalked off with a glare, but inside, he felt happier than ever. Teddy, manipulative or not, was here to stay in his life.

Click on the image for the larger version. Fanart by Heldrad.

Ending Notes

– The myth of Calais and Nye was pretty much borrowed from the myth of “The Bear and the Tiger”, a Korean mythology. Like Calais and Nye, they wanted to become human, so they had to do the whole mugwort and garlic trial for one-hundred days. The bear persisted, but the tiger gave up. So with that myth and with some European mythological creatures . . . I’ve created one suited for this fic!
– Nye is a Welsh name, and it means “golden”.
– Calais is a Greece name, and it means “changing colours”.
– Gwydion is a Welsh name, too, and it means “God of Magic”.

“He Mourns for the Change that has Come Upon Him and His Beloved, and Longs for the End of the World” by William Butler Yeats

Do you not hear me calling, white deer with no horns?
I have been changed to a hound with one red ear;
I have been in the Path of Stones and the Wood of Thorns,
For somebody hid hatred and hope and desire and fear
Under my feet that they follow you night and day.
A man with a hazel wand came without sound;
He changed me suddenly; I was looking another way;
And now my calling is but the calling of a hound;
And Time and Birth and Change are hurrying by.
I would that the Boar without bristles had come from the West
And had rooted the sun and moon and stars out of the sky
And lay in the darkness, grunting, and turning to his rest.

Prologue

From the Journal of Fred Weasley
May 2001

It’s been three years since I’ve arrived in this wonderful locus amoenus, and while it really is a paradise as it claims to be, it’s also very monotonous. So monotonous, that I’ve decided to start a journal on a semi-regular basis.

Every day, I watch Mr and Mrs Potter — they keep on trying to get me to call them James and Lily, but it still feels weird — fretting over Harry about this or that issue, and when they are not combusting over their son, Mr Potter and Professor Snape are exchanging heated words while poor Mrs Potter plays referee between them. Then there’s Sirius helping Mr Potter torment Professor Snape, too, while Remus and Tonks try to mediate between them as well. The other Mr Black — whom I call Reggie — just rolls his eyes at this fiasco and keeps to himself.

Then there’s little old, lovable me. The first of the Weasleys from my family to arrive here. Half the time, I plot ways to prank others since that’s what I do best. With this place being boring at times, someone needs to bring some craziness here, and who’s a better choice than me? With my pranks, I receive input from Sirius, Remus, and Mr Potter; really, I was quite surprised to find out that they were the Marauders! I only wish I could have known this titbit when I was alive and still kicking.

When I’m not busy talking to those blokes, I am running away from my horrendous Aunt Rachel, who likes to reminiscence all one-hundred plus years of her life history to me. With my speed and my cunning intelligence, I usually escape her and manage to find a quiet area to get away from all the hustle and bustle around here.

This is when I brood for a while. This is when I realise just how much I miss George. My twin. My other half. My better half.

And it pains me to say that I know he misses me, too.

Maybe this is why I’m keeping a journal. I want to write and share some entries with him, and when he does arrive here, I can tell him some hilarious events that have happened here. Such events like Mr Potter spelling Professor Snape’s hair pink for one is something I know he’d crack up at.

But for now, I need to figure out a way to make him happy.

He’s miserable, and as his one and only twin, I want to somehow help him leap over that self-destructive slump he’s in. I need to prove that he’s capable of finding happiness without me there to hold his hand like some ninny!

While, I cannot interact with the real world, I can influence the people there to a certain degree by visiting them in dreams. I suppose that’s kind of an invasion of privacy, but with my twin, I’ll have to do something. I’ve been given permission to do this three times, and I’ll have to think this through carefully, lest I make a big mistake. I already have a plan . . .

Oops. Aunt Rachel’s coming. Bugger it! Time to fly!

Part I: In the Darkness

With a dull, almost lifeless expression etched on his face, Draco lounged back into his favourite armchair. A tumbler of brandy and a newspaper had been placed next to him on a small table beside his chair, and the fireplace glittered wildly as the warm colours reflected his grey eyes. He gazed at the flames, wondering if he could somehow spell it to cooler shades of blues and greys to match the emptiness he felt inside of him. Slowly, almost as if he were in a trance, he reached for the brandy, taking a long sip as he savoured the rich flavour. He twirled the liquid in the tumbler, studying how the colour of the fire and the brandy blended into one.

He tilted his head to look at the newspaper. Its front page headline blared, Harry Potter’s Testimony Clears All Charges Against Narcissa and Draco Malfoy!. Sighing, he took another long drain of his drink, and he closed his eyes as he tried to forget the article, but that was easier said than done.

Draco Malfoy felt lost.

All the plans he had for himself, all of his purpose in life, and all his motivation and determination had disappeared once this verdict against him and his mother came through. He knew he should be thankful that the sodding saviour’s words had saved him and his mother from the fate of imprisonment, but he couldn’t feel anything remotely resembling gratitude. He wished that his father had been included in the pardon, but that didn’t come through; his father would have to face fifteen years of imprisonment at Azkaban. At least it was no longer guarded by Dementors, but Draco couldn’t help but feel bitter at his father’s outcome.

However, his feelings of confusion and the lack of purpose in his life overwhelmed all feelings of hatred he felt towards Potter and his group of do-gooders.

He simply didn’t care.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Come in,” Draco said, his voice devoid of any emotions. Without turning his head, he heard the door open and shut, and he heard his mother’s soft steps. She appeared in his line of sight. She sat down in another armchair next to his occupied one, looking elegant and proper. Her robes were immaculate as usual, but the red rims of her eyes and her ragged fingernails told him that she wasn’t as collected as she normally was. He could see the subtle signs of his mother’s exhausted state, and he knew he probably looked the same — if not worse.

“Draco, darling. Have you stayed in here all day?”

He looked closely at his mother’s face, which appeared passive and calm, but her eyes held a hint of worry. Before he answered her, he took another long drink. The brandy burned as it slid down his throat. Draco closed his eyes and leaned backwards in his chair. “Yes.”

She sighed. “Draco, you . . . you can’t be doing this to yourself.”

“Doing what, Mother?” Draco now glanced away from her. He knew what she was going to say. He knew her too well.

“This!” She raised her voice a bit, sounding firmer than usual. “Just staying here, in this one room, barely eating and only drinking alcohol! I do not want to see you like this. You’re throwing your life away!”

He gritted his teeth to prevent himself from saying something rude and nasty to her. “I’m not throwing my life away.”

“Then do something. You’ve been pardoned. You have a chance to do something other than brooding around here. I know you’re upset about your father not receiving a pardon, but at least not all of us were thrown into that horrible place.”

Draco ran a hand through his hair. “Do what? Go out and find a job?”

“Yes. You did take your NEWTs after the war and did well on them. It’d be a shame for you to not use your skills and intelligence.”

He sneered and snapped at her. “Who would hire me? Who would hire a former Death Eater right now?”

Draco saw his mother’s eyes narrowing as her lips thinned. Her voice came out tight and formal. “You will not speak to me in that manner. You’re an adult now, but I’m still your mother.”

“I apologise, Mother.” He ducked his head and let out a soft, weary sigh.

A moment of silence passed before she spoke again. “Now, I want you to get out and do something that’s productive for you. Starting tomorrow.”

He didn’t say anything. He had no intention of doing anything tomorrow, but he knew better than to state his current thoughts out loud.

It was his mother’s turn to sigh, but it was an exasperated one unlike his. “If you don’t do anything tomorrow, I will start my search for a wife and force you into a marriage.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Draco hissed out, feeling panicky and angry all at the same time. “You know I don’t–”

“I know you prefer men over women, but if you’re not going to take the initiative to direct your life in a better direction, I will do it for you!” He saw the determined glint in her eyes, which frightened him since he knew she wasn’t playing with her threat.

Grudgingly, he nodded.

“Thank you.” She stood up and leaned over to kiss his forehead. She brushed his fringe out of his eyes and said, “I’ve taken the liberty to have the house elves hide all the alcohol in the manor. They’ve been instructed to not give you any until you shape up your life. Enjoy that last tumbler.”

Draco glared at her, but it had no effects on her as she straightened up. With a composed expression on her face, she smoothed her silvery robes with her hands, and she gracefully walked out of the room, leaving Draco to glower at the fireplace at his mother’s unwelcome meddling.

“George? Oi, George!”

George looked up at the closed door, hearing the pounding that followed after whoever called him. “What? Is that you, Lee?” He waved his wand and the door swung open.

Lee walked in and gave George a glare. George stared back nonchalantly. Surrounding him were all sorts of equipment and plans for new prank ideas he’d been coming up with. Lee looked at the mess and asked, “Have you been in here all night?”

George didn’t answer. He avoided looking at his friend, and he fiddled around with the item he’d been fighting with for hours.

“I’ll take your silence as a yes.”

George still didn’t respond. He put down the item and pulled out a fag and lit it. The room, already reeking of cigarettes, became smoky.

Lee exhaled noisily and took a seat next to George. “You need to stop this, mate.”

“What?” George asked, smoke coming out of his mouth. “I’m just working.”

“There’s a difference between working and trying to kill yourself. You’re going to die early if you keep this up.”

“So?” George grinned sardonically. “Maybe that would be the best.”

Lee scowled. “I don’t mean to sound like a prick, but you’ve been my mate since our very first day at Hogwarts. So was Fred, and he wouldn’t be happy seeing you like this.”

“Shut up,” George answered in a low voice. “Don’t talk about Fred like that.”

“I will if it gets you to stop acting like this! And I only say this because I care about you, George! So does Angelina! Your family, too! But your actions are worrying us! Fred–”

“Shut up!” George shouted. “You and everyone else can piss off! Nobody can understand this! Nobody!”

Both of them looked at each other fiercely. George’s red face matched his hair, and Lee’s dark eyes glowered in anger. A few minutes of silence passed before Lee broke it. “Look. I may not be a twin, and while you’re right on us not being able to understand what you feel, but we all lost somebody in this war. That we can relate to, but . . . blimey, George. You need to move on.

“Besides, I miss the goofy George.” Lee let out a dejected sigh. “I dunno, mate. You still pull pranks and stuff, but . . . somehow you’re not the same as before. It . . . it feels forced. As if your heart’s not in it anymore.”

“We all change,” George grumbled.

“Yes, you’re right. But your change is not helping you. Just . . . don’t overwork yourself. When’s the last time you got laid?” Lee joked.

George shrugged; he didn’t have time to go looking for willing guys to be his bed partner.

“Okay, if I have to hire a rent boy for you, I will.”

“You wouldn’t dare.” George was horrified.

Lee smirked. “You know me. I can’t turn down a challenge or a dare. Why do you think I got in so much trouble with Filch over the years with you two always daring me?”

George didn’t answer that. He only lit another fag, which hung precariously at the edge of his lips, and he went back to fiddling around with the newest invention of his.

“Fine. I’m not giving up, though. I’ve got you some food. It’s fish and chips. Eat it. I’ll be around. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” Lee set the food down in front of George and left the room.

With his friend gone, George put the joke item down, some new sweets — he was thinking of calling them Tortoise Shell — that would slow a person’s movement down. He had to admit, Lee was right. Everything that loudmouth said was true. He was overworking, and he had changed into a person he would have never considered years ago. But he missed Fred so much. With Fred gone, he really felt like the world had ended. He even wanted to close Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes down, but he only kept the store opened as a legacy towards Fred. Yet it was hard running it without his partner-in-crime.

As he sat alone in the small room, he lit another fag and stared off into space.

Click on the image for the larger version. Fanart by Lolasangel.

Draco scowled at all the rejection letters he received from each workplace he had applied for. While he had predicted this, he still hated how his assumption turned out correct. He was being discriminated with his former Death Eater status, and he hated it. While he’d never admit it out loud, he now knew what it meant to be a victim of discrimination.

All those years of him being prejudiced towards Muggle-borns and half-bloods came back to bite him in the arse.

He threw the last of the rejection letter from St Mungo’s into the fire, and he paced around his private chambers. He stewed and ached for some alcohol, but he remembered his mother’s sneaky plans, and he instead decided to eat some chocolate to soothe his anger.

But even the few pieces of the most expensive chocolate didn’t help him as he imagined the coolness of the brandy in his mouth, the burning sensation that followed when he swallowed. He imagined the smell, the taste, and the aftertaste. He couldn’t stop thinking about the brandy as he mentally listed the names of his favourite brand.

Figuring that he needed to get out, he Apparated to Diagon Alley.

He walked around the crowds, ignoring the stares and the jeers from other wizards and witches. Despite being pardoned by the almighty Potter, he and his mother were still seen as evil incarnates. He held his head high, though, and went to Flourish and Blotts. There, he looked around for any new books that caught his interest, but he didn’t see anything worthwhile. Instead, he bumped into Theodore Nott.

“Nott,” he said, nodding towards his former housemate.

“Malfoy,” Theodore replied. “It’s been a while.”

Although he wasn’t that close of a friend with him, Draco never really had any problems with him. Not even when Theodore had declared neutrality along with Blaise Zabini and Millicent Bulstrode in their seventh year. The Carrows and whoever harassed them — not as harsh as they did to the others like Neville Longbottom and his posse — but it was still enough to have a divided house in Slytherin.

“How’ve you been?” Draco asked stiffly.

“I’ve been well. I’m on my lunch break from my job at the Ministry. I’m going to grab something at the Leaky. Care to join me?”

Draco nodded. It was a change seeing a friendly face compared to all the sneers he’d been receiving from everyone else.

The two headed to the Leaky Cauldron, and they sat at a dark corner where nobody would bother them. When their food and drinks came, the conversation started.

“So how’s your job at the Ministry? What are you doing there, anyway?”

Theodore chewed and swallowed before answering. “I’m an office assistant for one of the departments. Are you working right now?”

“No,” Draco said, trying not to sound resentful and bitter.

“It’s a bit difficult trying to find a place that will hire you. I’ve been there myself. The war really brought a bad reputation to all of us Slytherins.”

“Even for you? But you weren’t a Death Eater.” Draco was surprised by Theodore’s revelation.

Theodore gave a wry smile. “Yes, but I was a Slytherin. It’s horrible the way they judge all of us based on our houses. Yet I still applied for many places, hoping someone will not see Slytherin and think I’m an evil bastard. I must say that it was rough. And though this was not a job I really preferred, it’s still a job to start with.”

Draco nodded.

“At any rate, while I may be a Slytherin, I’m proud to be a member of the house. I will not hide and lie about my background. I figure that if those employers only see me as an evil Slytherin, they’re not someone I will want to work for.”

Draco and Theodore quietly continued to eat. Draco wondered why he didn’t try to be better friends with Theodore, who always was one of the more logical ones from his housemates, but he’d been too busy hanging out with Crabbe and Goyle.

Towards the end of the meal, Theodore and Draco talked about the Muggles. Draco was surprised to find out that Theodore was actually a half-blood. He never knew that. He always thought Theodore was a pureblood like himself.

“I didn’t know,” Draco said, feeling a bit like a fool.

Theodore gave a knowing smile. “I never advertised it. My mother, who’s a witch, warned me that if I were to be sorted into Slytherin to hide my Muggle background.”

“I see.”

Theodore shrugged. “That’s what finally landed me a job, though. I think I was eventually hired because I put down half-blood on the applications.”

Draco sighed. “That isn’t right.”

“It isn’t, but it’s what helped, I think.”

When they were done, Theodore looked at Draco sympathetically. “Don’t give up, Draco. You’ll find someone who will give you a chance and look beyond your name and your past affiliation.”

The two promised to keep in touch, and Theodore went back to his workplace, and Draco mulled over what Theodore told him.

“Hey, Mr Weasley!”

Verity’s loud voice broke George’s concentration, and he looked up at his assistant. “What is it? And how many times must I tell you to call me ‘George’?”

“I’ll call you whatever I want! In the meantime, you gotta hire another person to help me out in the front, or I’ll quit.” Through her threat, she grinned. “Well, I won’t, but I do admit it’s a bit crazy down there all by myself while you’re up here doing whatever you genius do in a stuffy room.”

George backed away from his worktable and stood up. “Is business that good for you to feel overwhelmed by it?”

Verity rolled her eyes. “Sir? Where have you been this entire time? Of course business is great! You do come up with more and more great products. Have you not checked the books lately?”

He lit up a fag and shook his head. “Sorry, I guess I’ve been too busy being an inventor rather than a businessman.”

“Well, don’t lose that thinking cap yet! You will needta conjure up a new assistant fast, or I’ll collapse from overwork, and you will owe me some huge medical payment.”

George gave her a faint smile. “No, I wouldn’t want you to collapse and pay for it either. That would make me look like a sod. Let’s go. I’ll help you in the front until I can find a suitable helper.

“Thanks! She grabbed his wrist and dragged them down to the front.

At the front, George and Verity worked hard to please their customers, organised the shelves, and changed the decorations of the store whenever the place quieted down a bit. He worked and put up a fake, cheerful front. He didn’t want to scare his customers away with his brooding, after all.

While he worked, he remembered the excitement when he and Fred had first bought this space with Harry’s generous contribution. He reminisced fondly of the nights they stayed up late to plan and organise their store. That was the best time of his life, aside from all their previous adventures of pranking and joking at Hogwarts, and George wished he could go back to those days before things exploded to hell.

But he knew that no matter how much he wished and hoped for it, Fred would not come back.

When the store closed, and when he was back in his workroom, he had some firewhiskey and his pack of fags next to him, and he drank and smoked his unfulfilled wants away.

He woke up next morning with a headache and a dry mouth, and he reeked of cigarettes.

He quickly showered, not wanting Verity to gripe about his unpleasant odour, and he planned out a job advertisement in his head.

Hiring a new assistant would not be the same as having Fred back, but it would help Verity and him with their job. With three people back in the store, he figured it would feel less empty.

Draco flipped through The Daily Prophet. He saw the same jobs he’d already tried to apply with no luck. He skimmed through the meaningless words and was about to throw the paper aside when something caught his eyes. He read closely and saw an opening for an assistant position for Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. The ad also said that they wanted someone to do the bookkeeping and the accounting. That interested him some more. The advertisement stated for all interested applicants to come to the store.

He grimaced. He didn’t have fond memories of the horrible Weasley twins, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but think that the twins did have some clever pranks, even if they were a waste of time. He grabbed his cup of tea, sipped on it, and thought about this prospect. While he didn’t particularly want to work for someone like George Weasley, what other offers were there? All the good jobs he was qualified for were being given to the “good” people, unlike someone tainted like him, and it really wouldn’t hurt to try.

Glancing at the time, Draco saw that the store would close in another hour or so. He decided to try his luck.

He bid his mother farewell, telling her that he was going out job hunting, and then he Apparated into Diagon Alley. He approached the store with some trepidation, and when he saw the garish, bright, and outlandish decorations outside the store, he almost lost what little determination he had. But he forced himself to continue walking into the store. He strolled down the aisles, looking at the various products that nearly screamed for Draco to use on poor, unsuspecting blokes like Goyle. He bit back a smile as he remembered the days of pulling his own pranks on Goyle, Crabbe, and those idiotic first year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs.

He glanced around the rest of the store, and he didn’t see that many other customers. He stepped towards the till. There he saw George, in magenta robes, working with a woman he didn’t know, and he steeled himself for the inevitable meeting.

Draco didn’t miss George’s surprised expression. He watched the expression turn grim, almost suspicious.

“Malfoy.”

Draco nodded. “Weasley.”

The woman looked up. Draco saw the multiple piercings on the woman’s ears, and he studied the neon orange streaks in her short blue hair. He eyed the magenta robes and back to the hair, and he briefly wondered if the woman was colour-blind. “You know him, Mr Weasley?” she asked.

“Yeah, we went to Hogwarts together.”

She looked at him curiously, but a customer came up, and she scurried away to help.

Draco looked back at George. Their eyes met, and Draco looked into George’s brown eyes. George quickly averted his gaze, and this allowed Draco to study George’s appearance. When they were in Hogwarts, Draco remembered George always smiling or smirking. He recalled how Fred and George always looked so vibrant and upbeat. Now a tired man with only one ear greeted him. Draco could see the bleary eyes, the slumped posture, and the place where the ear used to be. This was not the same jokester he knew in school, and he briefly recalled Professor Snape talking about hexing a Weasley twin’s ear off with the same spell Potter used on Draco before. He did not want to remember that incident.

George cleared his throat. “How can I help you?” Draco heard the cautious edge in George’s deep voice.

Draco answered, “I’m here because I saw your job advertisement.”

“Oh?” George lifted an eyebrow.

Draco refused to cower under a Weasley of all people. After Voldemort, nothing could really scare him — except maybe his mother, who could be quite frightening when she turned angry. Hell really had no fury compared to a woman’s scorn. He continued, “I’m interested in the job.”

“Hmm,” George stepped around from the counter. “Are you?”

Draco nodded. “I enjoy bookkeeping, and I can help with the finances and the accounting.”

“Oh, yes. You’re a Malfoy, after all. You’ve had plenty of finances to balance out over the years.”

Draco nearly lashed out at the insult, but he stopped himself since talking back would surely lose his opportunity. Plus, he didn’t hear any malice in George’s voice, but he only heard a voice that sounded familiar. It sounded like a voice of a lost person. Draco pondered over that revelation. Did he sound like that?

“Weas — I mean, Mr Weasley, I do wish to work for your establishment. I would really like to help out with the books and whatever else you need.” Draco stood still; he refused to fidget. He might have been nervous, but Malfoys didn’t fidget.

“You do realise,” George began, “that this job’s starting salary is very low and that there will not be any benefits until I deem appropriate?”

“Yes, I did read all that in the advertisement.” And Draco surprisingly didn’t care. Right now, all he wanted was a job to get his mother off his back and to move on with his life.

“You took your NEWTs?”

“Yes, I did. I received ‘O’s in Charms, Potions, Transfigurations, and Arithmancy and ‘E’s in Herbology and Ancient Runes,” Draco tried to sound neutral about it. He didn’t want George to think he was bragging.

“Well, those are good results,” George mumbled.

Draco didn’t say anything.

George led the way to what looked like a workroom, and he made a gesture for Draco to come inside. “This is my workroom. This is where I usually come up with new products. I’m working on one right now. They’re ‘Belching Beans’,” George told him with a fond look at the beans. Then his face fell. “Or at least they’re supposed to be. There’s been a slight hitch. Anybody who takes it is supposed to belch for at least an hour, but from the tests . . . well . . . they become quite ‘excited’.”

“Excited?”

“Randy.”

Draco frowned at that, but he still remained quiet. He saw an open notebook with messy scrawls, and he tried to decipher the handwriting.

George continued, “Any idea on how I should fix this?”

For a minute or two, Draco studied the notes, and then the answer hit him. “Replace the cinnamon with ginger.”

“Why?”

“Cinnamon’s an aphrodisiac. Ginger will help with the digestion instead, and it will aid the person into belching.”

George looked thoughtful and took down notes. “That makes sense.” He set the notebook down and started to smoke a cigarette. “Well, I’ll think about it, and I’ll let you know of my decision on your employment.”

Draco felt dismayed at this odd job interview, but he only nodded and said, “Thank you.” He turned and left the room. In the front, he bumped into the woman.

“Oh, sorry! Didn’t mean to bump into you”

“Quite all right,” Draco said, giving her a small smile.

“By the way, what’s your name? Other than Malfoy?”

Draco gave her an incredulous look. Everyone in the wizarding world knew him by now, no thanks to all that publicity on his father trial and his and his mother’s pardon. But the woman maybe didn’t really follow all that. “Draco.”

“Draco Malfoy, eh? A pleasure. I’m Verity. Did the interview go okay?”

“Yeah,” he lied.

“Great! I do hope George hires somebody soon. It’s mad crazy here with just the two of us. I had to pull overtime lately, and my guy complains he doesn’t see me much.”

“Er, I see.”

“Whoops! I better go help that poor customer over there. Later, Draco!”

Verity cheerfully bounded off, and Draco only stared after her, wondering if all colour-blind women were that cheerful.

Draco left the store, and he sighed disappointedly. “Back to scouring that damn paper,” he muttered to himself. He Apparated home since he didn’t have anywhere else to go. When in his room, his first instinct was to request some alcohol, but since he couldn’t get any, he decided to out for a broom ride.

As he flew around the darkening sky, he cursed himself for even bothering the interview. He was glad George hadn’t kicked him out of the store at least, but he felt that it was a waste of his time, and he was back to where he was since he’d started his job hunt.

If only his mother would let him stay lost. Being lost and half-drunk was better than feeling shame and disappointment in himself and hating the bigots who wouldn’t give him a chance.

With a sigh, Draco flew into the night. It wasn’t a particularly good night for a broom ride, but he needed to distract himself from the long day.

“Are you gonna hire that Draco bloke?”

George was about to light up another fag in the front before he remembered that Verity hated when he smoked there. “I dunno.”

“Why not? He seemed like he’d be good for this place.”

“Yeah, but I remember him as a prick back in Hogwarts.”

“That was in the past, Mr Weasley. You don’t strike me as the type to hold a grudge.”

“Mmm.”

“Well, it’ll be up to you.” Verity quickly finished the rest of her tasks. “I’m done! I’ll see you on Monday!”

“Have a good weekend.” He watched Verity flipped the Come in if you dare sign to the We’re snoozing and boozing sign, and George was alone in the store.

He went back to the workroom to try the ginger Draco had suggested, and when he decided to quit for the night, he saw that it was very late. Luckily, he could sleep in tomorrow, so it wasn’t a huge deal for him.

He went to his bedroom, passing by Fred’s room, which he adamantly refused to change or get rid of despite his family and friends’ protests. Once in his room, he grabbed his fags and his firewhiskey, and he drank and smoked until he passed out.

Before he slept, he expected that night to be like any other night. He had no idea he was going to have a visitor in his dream.

“George?”

He ignored the voice.

“George?”

He batted his hand out. “Leave me alone, Lee.”

“I’m not Lee!” the voice said indignantly.

“Oh, for fuck–!” He opened his eyes, and he saw he was back in his workroom, and right next to him was Fred.

George’s mouth dropped opened.

“Didn’t know you went all fish-like on me,” Fred said with his customary smirk. “What? Surprised?”

“How the . . . you should be . . . ”

“Yes, I’m truly dead, but I figured a visit here and there won’t hurt.”

George stared longingly at his twin. Slowly, he reached out to touch Fred, but his hand went through. “So you really are . . . ”

“Oh, stop being such a ninny,” Fred grumbled, rolling his eyes. “It doesn’t suit you. Look, I can’t stay long, but I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“What?”

“About Malfoy.”

George wrinkled his nose. “What about him?”

“Are you going to hire him?”

“I hadn’t planned on it.”

Fred let out a sigh and drawled out George’s hated nickname. “Georgie.”

“Don’t call me that, Freddie!”

“Okay, fine.” Fred grinned. “Look. Hire Malfoy. Of all the applicants who came to you so far, none of them could figure out your problem. Plus, he was the only one who could read your awful handwriting.”

“That’s true,” George said slowly. “But have you forgotten what a wanker he was, especially when he became a prefect and sided with that ghastly Umbitch woman?”

“I haven’t forgotten! How could I ever forget that? Sure, he was a fucking prick, but he’s changed.” Fred paused and gave George a sad smile. “And you did, too.”

George shrugged and reached out for his fags before remembering this was a dream. “So you’re saying I should give him a chance. Why?”

“Because it’ll be good for you.”

“Excuse me?” George exclaimed. “How’s hiring Malfoy supposed to be good for me?”

“That you have to figure out on your own.”

George scowled. “Since when have you turned into a cryptic bastard?”

“I reckon since we were born.”

“Oh, piss off,” George said, feeling a pang of remorse inside of him. “You know I really do . . . ”

“I know. I feel the same way. No need to turn into a woman on me.”

“Prat.”

“I love you, too. Now, you hire Malfoy, or I’ll make you regret it when you get your arse up here.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“I just want the best for you. As your older–”

“Only by two damn minutes–” George interrupted.

“As I was saying, I’m the older twin, and I do have to look out for you. Whether dead or alive.”

“Okay. You’ve gone not only cryptic, but you’ve also went quite morbid up there, haven’t you?”

“Sure, but at least you don’t have to constantly run away from Aunt Rachel.”

George gave Fred a puzzled look. “What?”

“You don’t wanna know,” Fred said, winking. “Now, I’ve gotta run. Hire him . . . and for Merlin’s sake, quit your smoking and drinking before you kill yourself!” Fred’s brown eyes twinkled, and he disappeared.

A few minutes later, George sat up gasping in his bed. He looked around and saw the empty pack of fags and the bottle of firewhiskey. He glanced around the room where nothing had changed. Lying back on his bed, he stared at the ceiling, wondering why he had that kind of dream. A dream of Fred telling him to hire Draco.

George sighed and stifled back a sob. When Fred had died, he hadn’t cried. In fact, he had yet to grieve and cry for the death of his twin. But he didn’t want to do that. He didn’t want to face the fact that Fred was really gone.

But now with that dream, he finally saw reality. Fred was gone.

Alone in his room, he cried until he could cry no more.

During all of Saturday and most of Sunday, Draco moped around the manor. He ignored his mother’s attempt to offer advice, and he only went out once to do his weekly visit to see his father. He hated how stifling Azkaban was, and he hated how everything there was so depressing. Both he and his mother could not wait until his father was released.

Despite being in the miserable place, Draco was surprised to see that his father looked at peace. It was almost as if Lucius had accepted his consequences and was not going to dwell on his past.

Oh, his father was still arrogant and smug, especially when they bought him good food and wine, but Lucius looked as if he tried not to let his current living condition bother him. Then again, that was what Slytherins were good at. Adapting.

Yet Draco felt like he couldn’t adapt to his own life. He didn’t feel like he’d ever get out of this slump he found himself in.

Draco left before his mother did, giving his parents some of the privacy they wanted.

He Apparated back to the manor, and there he was nearly assaulted by a very impatient looking owl.

He saw the magenta envelope in the owl’s claw, and he scowled as it reminded him of Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. Really, what was so great about that colour? What was wrong with green? Or blue? Or just plain red?

He took the envelope and sent the owl to the owlery to rest and get some treat. Before it flew off, it gave him an owlish frown, and Draco glared back at the impertinent creature.

In his room, he opened the dreadful envelope and read the letter. It was written in a familiar messy scrawl, and it said:

Malfoy,

— George Weasley

Draco blinked at the letter. Magenta. Again, what was with that bloody colour? But if this was a job offer, he could live with it. It was the only job offer he received anyway. If it was one thing Draco learned during the war, it was to take what he could get.

He perused the short letter again. He mused over the “Get ready for it” sentence and wondered just what George meant by that. Get ready? For what? To be a test subject? Would George make him eat some horrible sweet that would turn him into a ferret? He hoped not. That wasn’t included in the job description, right?

He felt apprehensive, and he greeted Monday morning with a mixture of nervousness, wariness, and hesitance.

He Apparated to the store at 7:59, and he entered it at 8 o’clock sharp. He looked and saw Verity, who was sweeping, and she grinned at him.

“Morning, Draco! I’m so glad George chose you to work with us.” Her neon orange and blue hair clashed with her magenta robes as usual, and Draco wondered if he could spell himself colour-blind to not look at that all day.

After a pause, he answered, “Good morning, Verity.” He searched for George. “Where’s Weasley?”

“Mr Weasley will come down soon. He’s prob’ly hungover, so he’ll take his sweet time.” She rolled her eyes, but he saw affection in them. She stopped her sweeping and went to the backroom and came out with a magenta robes. “In the meantime, here.” She handed him a magenta robes. “Uniform.”

He sniffed at the robes unpleasantly and sullenly grabbed it. “Where do I change?”

She pointed towards the loo, and he went there and changed into the ugly thing.

When he stepped out, Verity exclaimed, “Hey! Magenta does look good on ya!”

Draco was taken aback by that compliment. “I doubt it.”

“It does!”

Draco still didn’t believe her. How could he when she herself was quite challenged with colour coordination?

But before he could say anything, he heard someone clearing their throat. It was George, and he was looking at Draco with an unreadable expression.

“You’ve come,” George said.

“Of course. I’d like to start off right,” Draco lightly retorted.

An awkward silence surrounded all of them as George still gave Draco an enigmatic look.

“Right. Then let’s start,” George announced.

All day long, George paid attention to Draco. While George explained how the business worked, how they stocked items, how the bookkeeping worked, and how to deal with temperamental customers, George watched for Draco’s reaction. While they did all that, he waited for the moment where Draco would explode in anger.

George still wasn’t convinced that Draco would be a suitable employee in his store. Because of his uncertainties, he had set up tricks and pranks for it to activate when Draco touched them. For an example, when George led Draco to the office where they keep all the books, he had Draco sit in a chair that farted out loud as soon as Draco’s arse hit the seat. Whatever writing utensils Draco used would explode ink on him. One time, Draco was even given a cold shower as a bucket of freezing water covered him when he entered a room.

With jokes and pranks like that, George was waiting for Draco to resign in anger, but Draco surprised him. Draco gave a tight-lipped smile and clenched his fists, but that was all he did.

When Ron had helped out before, he would explode after the second prank, but Draco maintained his temper, and George figured that was good. After all, in order to work here, one needed to have some sense of humour!

As he thought about Draco throughout the day, he recalled Draco in the magenta robes earlier. He heard Verity’s comment on Draco looking good in magenta, and he secretly had to agree. Draco had looked quite fitting in that colour, and George felt something inside of him awaken at the sight. Despite the pointy face and the haughty expression, Draco looked dashing. He was slim and lithe, and with that blond hair and steely grey eyes, George came to the conclusion that Draco was his type.

He was glad he’d been able to hide that reaction though. While he did prefer the blokes, he didn’t think Draco would appreciate his thoughts like that. He wasn’t sure if Draco even looked at blokes like that.

By the end of the day, George called Draco into his workroom. With his usual fag, he turned to Draco and said, “You passed all my tests.”

“Pardon?” Draco asked with a confused frown. “What tests?”

“All those pranks. You reined in your temper. I think you’re suited to work here.”

Draco continued to look perplexed. “You mean when you said ‘Get ready for it’ . . . ”

“Yeah, that’s what I meant.” George inhaled and exhaled the smoke, watching it create patterns in the room. “Hope you didn’t mind.”

Draco shook his head. “I’ve pulled a few pranks of my own in the past.”

“Oh?” George lifted an eyebrow. “Really? And here I thought you were just a rich, spoilt brat who had a stick up his arse like Percy.”

“I am not a stiff.”

“Could have fooled me.”

“Then I guess I should also say that you’re not the buffoon I thought you’d be.”

“A buffoon?” George blinked at that instead of getting angry as he should. “That’s a new one on me.”

“Oh, I can think of more suitable descriptors for you, but I’ll save them for another time.”

George chuckled at that, but then he sobered up. “That’s the kind of stuff Fred would say to me . . . ”

A minute passed before Draco simply said, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. Good job today. Tomorrow you can organise that mess in the bookkeeping room.”

“Oh, thank you. I’m looking forward to that,” Draco said sarcastically.

“Well, I hope you’re more organised than myself or Verity. And Ron. He can’t organise worth shite. Fred was always the one better at paperwork and filing.” George waved a hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Draco nodded and said, “Good night.” He left the room, and George was left alone to his thoughts.

Draco left after saying good night to Verity. Grumbling to himself at George’s so-called tests, he opened the door and stepped outside to bump into a child.

“Owie!” the child exclaimed. He looked up at Draco with a smile. “Sorry I bumped into you mister.” He backed up to grab his guardian’s, an older woman, hand.

“Quite all right,” Draco said. He glanced at a familiar looking woman. He nodded politely to her. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right,” she answered in a crisp voice that Draco recognised as one belonging to the wealthy wizarding class. She looked at him closely. “Are you Draco Malfoy?”

He stiffened, wondering if this woman would sprout out unpleasant statements of him belonging in Azkaban. That already had happened to him before, and Draco didn’t really want to face that. “Yes, I am.”

She gave him a hesitant smile. “I’m Andromeda Tonks.” She gestured towards the child. “This is my grandson, Teddy Lupin.”

“I’m this many!” Teddy held up three fingers.

Draco looked at his aunt and his first cousin once removed in surprise. “Aunt Andromeda?” He looked at his disinherited aunt. She looked like a mixture between his mother and his aunt Bellatrix, but she had a friendly aura about her.

“Yes, Draco, it is I. How are you? How’s your mother?” She had a worried expression. “I do hope you’re all doing well with your father’s imprisonment.”

“We’re all right. Have you been in contact with Mother?”

She shook her head. “No, but if you could tell her . . . tell her that if she ever wants to meet, I wouldn’t be against the idea.”

He politely said, “I’ll pass on the message.”

“Grandmamma?” Teddy tugged on her hand. “D’you know him?”

Draco studied his cousin closely. He was a cute looking boy, with bright turquoise hair and happy brown eyes. He had a dimple in one cheek, and his Chudley Cannons t-shirt was a little too big on his small frame. Draco had to bite back a groan. Why were there so many colour-blind people around him?

Andromeda nodded. “Yes, dear. He’s your first cousin once removed.”

“Removed? Why’d he be removed? Did he hasta go somewhere?”

Draco couldn’t help it. A soft chuckle escaped him at the innocent question. Without thinking, he crouched down to be at the same height as Teddy. “No. Your grandmother and my mother are sisters. That means your mother is my cousin, and since you’re her child, you’re my first cousin removed.”

Teddy scrunched his face in confusion. “Then are we elated?”

“Elated?” Draco echoed in confusion. Then he figured out what Teddy was trying to ask. “Oh! Related? Yes, we’re related.”

“Then we’re family?” Teddy asked, his eyes huge and imploring.

He was taken aback by the child’s frankness and simple acceptance. Somehow, that lifted some gloom off of him, and he smirked as he poked Teddy’s soft cheek. “Yes, we’re family.”

“Yeah!” Before Draco could stop him, Teddy wrapped his small arms around Draco’s neck. Looking over Teddy’s shoulder, he looked at his aunt, who was trying not to look too amused, and he slowly hugged Teddy back.

After Teddy let go, Draco stood up. “I’ll tell Mother about our meeting. I’m sure she’d want to meet up with you one day.” Although his mother would never say it, he knew she was lonely since his father was in Azkaban. Maybe, just maybe it was time to renew relationships with each other.

“Thank you, Draco. Whenever you want, you’re more than welcome to visit Teddy and me. I think he took quite a liking to you.”

“Do you fly?” Teddy asked, after she finished.

“Yes, I ride a broom.” Draco looked at the way Teddy’s eyes lit up in happiness.

“I like to ride, too! But Grandmamma won’t let me ride it by myself,” he recited solemnly.

“How about if I take you up one day?” Draco asked.

“Promise?” Teddy looked hopeful and excited.

“Promise.”

Teddy launched onto Draco’s leg. “You’re my favourite cousin removed now!”

Draco and Andromeda laughed. Draco quickly added, “I’m your only cousin.”

“You’re still my favourite!”

“Well, Teddy, we have to go home now. I’ve got a surprise for you at home.”

“Okay!” Teddy tugged on her hand and waved at Draco. “Bye bye!”

“Goodbye, Teddy,” Draco responded. “Goodbye, Aunt Andromeda.”

Andromeda and Teddy walked away, and Draco went his way, feeling a bit lighter than he had in ages.

When he arrived home, he and his mother enjoyed a meal together. Draco talked about his job briefly before he mentioned his aunt and Teddy.

Narcissa took a long drain of her wine. “So you ran into my sister.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“And Teddy.” She had a faraway expression on her face. “You know, I did like her. She and I were close. When she opted to be disowned and marry that Mud — I mean Muggle-born, I had to stop all contacts with her because of my loyalties to my family and husband . . . ”

Draco sipped at his non-alcoholic drink. “Yes.”

“But perhaps it’s time to get reacquainted with her.” She smiled slightly. “I do miss my sister. She’s the only one left of my family from the Black’s side. I think I’ll contact her soon . . . and I’ll invite the two of them over here.”

Draco remembered something about Teddy. “Isn’t Potter his godfather?”

“I think so.”

Draco tried to not make a face. “Are you going to invite him, too?”

“I should. He did speak up for us.”

Draco stifled back a groan. His mother was right. He only hoped Potter would decline the invitation.

After dinner, Draco was in his room, trying to read, but he had so much on his mind. His job at the Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, his run in with Andromeda and Teddy, and then there was George. Draco didn’t know why, but he felt like the two of them were in the same boat somehow. He felt like they were both suffering from existential angst of some sort, and then he wondered if it was a coincidence he got hired over there.

Whatever the case was, for the first time since the end of the war, Draco didn’t feel as lost as before.

Intermission

From the Journal of Fred Weasley
July 2001

Nothing’s changed up here.

I’m still escaping from Aunt Rachel. Mr Potter and Sirius are still tormenting Professor Snape. Remus and Lily still scold them, and Reggie and I are actually becoming quite friendly with one another. But he’s a bore, still. Too stiff. Almost makes me wonder if he’s somehow related to Percy. He probably is. After all, most of the wizarding pureblood families are related somehow. Reggie probably ended up with the Percy gene — never mind that Reggie was born before Percy. Poor Reggie. Wait. Did I just write that?

While that’s going on, I still keep a watch on George and Malfoy. Nothing’s happening. They’ve both established a working relationship. That’s all. How boring!

I have a feeling I’ll have to make my appearance to George again one of these days. I don’t mind. After all, if I don’t knock some sense into George, who else will do it? Lee tries, but he isn’t very successful. Verity’s too wrapped up with her own life to help George any more than she can. And Malfoy is just as clueless about what his mission in life is supposed to be.

Oi. There are far too many dunderheads down there.

Great. I’m starting to sound like Professor Snape. That’s not good, I think.

Oh, well, time to fly! I think I hear Aunt Rachel’s annoying voice! Poor me! Can’t she find someone else to torture?!

Part II: Follow You Night and Day

George looked up from his newest invention. He saw Draco at the doorway of his workroom. “What’s up?”

“I finished the books. Do you need anything else?”

George raised his eyebrows. Over the last couple of months, he was impressed by Draco’s work ethic. True, he believed Draco to be a snot-nosed brat who was incredibly lazy and self-centred, but Draco proved to be quite a good worker. Ever since Draco came on board, their files were meticulously organised, and everything ran smoothly. He’d discovered that Draco did have a sense of humour, one that was drier compared to his and Verity, but they all balanced each other out.

Draco never complained about the work George made him do. Sometimes, Draco even seemed to anticipate George’s requests before he made them. One morning George came in and was about to ask Draco to clean the loos when he realised that they were already sparkling. Since Verity would never touch them, he could only assume it was Draco.

Plus, Draco even managed to make a few useful suggestions regarding his new line of inventions.

“How about creating a snack in the shape of a taco? Make it taste like one, too. Except when someone eats it, they will have some awkward consequences,” Draco offhandedly said one day.

“Hm. So when they eat it, the snack will make them rip out a roaring fart?”

Draco sniffed. “How crude, but that does fit the definition of awkward, doesn’t it?”

“And embarrassing.” George sniggered. “That’s a good idea! I’ll call it ‘Awkward Taco’.”

And that was what George had been working on. It would be a fun prank item once it was all perfected.

George glanced at the clock and saw it was almost closing time. “Want to order some fish and chips from the Leaky and share some firewhiskey?”

“What?” Draco stared at George.

George was quite astonished by his own invitation. He’d just invited Draco to have some food and drinks together, and he wasn’t sure where that idea came from. However, the more he thought about it, the more he decided he didn’t mind. After all, despite Draco being Draco, George did want to get to know his employee better.

“Let’s get some food and drinks,” George said, trying to sound suave.

“Well, I, er,” Draco stuttered and his cheeks turned slightly red. “Thanks. I’ll finish closing up the shop with Verity and go get the food.”

After Draco left hastily, George had to bite back a laugh. Calm, composed, and collected Draco Malfoy had transformed into a not so calm, composed, and collected Draco Malfoy. George found that amusing. Especially the blush. Briefly, he wondered if Draco could blush in other situations.

Realising what he was thinking, George banished those thoughts far away and muttered, “I will not think of Malfoy like that. I will not think of him like that!” He contemplated summoning a blackboard just so he could write it down a hundred times but then decided that it wouldn’t be helpful.

He busied himself with his work while his mind kept thinking of Draco in some compromising position. George groaned. He really needed to get laid, especially when he thought about shagging Draco. Not that it would be bad, but he really didn’t need to scare off a good worker like that. Also, he figured Draco, being a Malfoy, probably already had some nice witch in line to marry soon. As a rich, pureblood male, Draco would need to produce an heir to the Malfoy line. George knew that was how the rich wizarding families operated. His mind knew Draco was out of his reach, but his libido didn’t.

George groaned again. He really needed to get some. Soon. He made a mental note go out with Lee and Angelina one evening. After all, he was thinking of Draco in a sexual context. It was wrong. Terribly wrong. He needed to think of worse things. Thinking of Hagrid in a pink tutu, prancing around with Fang in a purple tutu worked.

Just in time, too, since Draco eventually returned with the food. They ate and drank. And then George tried to make small talk. He was never particularly good at it, but he wanted to talk. The silence was a bit stifling.

“Have you been flying lately?”

Draco nodded. “Have you?”

“Naw. Haven’t felt like it.” It was true. Since Fred died, George didn’t want to fly.

Draco probably figured out the reasons for his lack of flying since he changed the subject. “How’s the taco prank coming along?”

“Great. Need to figure out some kinks, and it will be a seller.”

“What’s the problem?” Draco asked curiously.

“The fart’s not loud enough,” George said with a straight face.

Draco gave him an incredulous look. “Just how loud you want it to be?”

“Pretty loud. Loud enough that the people in the next room can hear it.”

“What’s with you and loud noises?”

George shrugged. “I like them. Makes a better impact, dontcha think?”

“I guess we can’t all be polite.”

“You mean a prude?”

“Are you implying I’m a prude?” Draco knocked back a shot, looking like someone who hadn’t had alcohol in ages, and George found Draco’s throat interesting all of the sudden.

“You said it. Not me,” George grinned. He blinked at that proclamation. This bantering . . . this conversation with Draco felt like he was talking with Fred. Almost. Draco was more sarcastic than Fred ever was. Fred was always the more sarcastic one compared to George, though, and George missed the snarky comments from his brother.

Plus, talking with Draco made him feel light-hearted. It was almost as if Draco filled this big gaping hole in his life.

“George? Are you all right?” Draco’s voice broke his thought, and he realised he’d been staring at Draco.

“Oh, sorry. I was just thinking of something.”

“What?”

“Nothing important.” He refilled their shot glasses. “Let’s drink.”

Draco so far enjoyed working here. Once he got used to the pranks and Verity’s awful colour scheme. He came to the conclusion that he liked Verity; she was easy-going and fun to be around. Working with George was pleasant. He just needed to watch out for all the tricks that were in the store, but after a while, Draco figured out what was tampered with and what wasn’t.

He enjoyed working with numbers, and he didn’t mind the paperwork. He’d rather do that then deal with some of the customers, but if things were busy, he’d help with no complaint. Then again, complaining wouldn’t really take him anywhere, and it wasn’t as if George demanded his presence in the front. And since George didn’t order him, Draco found himself willingly helping out when he was needed.

Sometimes, when he was alone in the filing room, which sort of became his private office of some sort, he’d pause to look at something on the wall, to give his eyes a break. His mind would then wander towards George, and Draco noticed that George looked a bit happier than before. He wasn’t sure when George looked less gloomy, but he preferred a more cheerful George than a George with a dark cloud over his head.

Draco even realised he was slowly starting to see George in a different light. He was sort of attracted to George, and that was a bit shocking and embarrassing to admit even to himself. After all, George was his employer, his boss. Draco thought of George’s red hair, the brown eyes that held a mixture of sadness and mirth, and George’s stocky body.

He turned red in the face. He really shouldn’t think like that in the middle of his work. He didn’t need this kind of distraction!

Returning back to his work, Draco wrote and filed necessary information for another half an hour. His stomach growled to let him know he needed food, and Draco went out to the front to see if George or Verity wanted anything from the Leaky.

“Hey, Weasley! Verity! Do you want–” he cut himself off as he stared at another red-headed person there. It was Ron. Draco’s eyes narrowed, and Ron glowered at him. Draco looked around and saw it was a slow day. There were no customers at the moment. Which was probably what prompted Ron to say what he said next.

“What are you doing here?” Ron asked in a disgusted tone.

“I work here,” Draco answered coldly. “Why are you here?”

“I came to visit my brother.” Ron turned his attention to George. “Is he for real? Did you hire this prick?”

George nodded, and Draco tried to decipher George’s facial expression. It looked odd. “I did hire him, little bro, and he’s turning out to be a pretty good worker.”

“That’s a load of dung! Malfoys, especially this one, are too rich to work in a place like this,” Ron retorted nastily.

Draco was tempted, so tempted to insult Ron, but he held his tongue. It really wouldn’t bode well for him to insult his boss’ brother. He ignored Ron and turned to George and Verity. “Do you two want anything from the Leaky?”

“Oh, please! Here let me write down my order for ya!” Verity looked relieved that Draco suggested this. She found a piece of parchment and quickly wrote down her order.

“What about you, Weasley?”

Ron exploded before George could answer. “Why the fuck are you letting him call you ‘Weasley’ and letting him get away with it?”

“Oh, for Merlin’s sake, Ron. Will you take it easy? I call him ‘Malfoy’, so let’s just leave it that.” George rolled his eyes at his brother before looking at Draco. “Just get me some fish and chips.”

“Will do.” Draco avoided looking at Ron, grabbed Verity’s order, and left the store. Just as he closed the door, he heard the beginning of Ron’s new rant.

Muttering to himself, Draco said, “That Granger sure has a lot of work cut out for herself with Weasel’s anger problem.”

When he reached the Leaky, he ordered the food through Hannah Abbott, and then he waited in a quiet corner. He ignored everyone’s stares and whispers by mentally going through a checklist of chores and errands he needed to do later in the afternoon. His checklist was rudely interrupted, though, when Ron stalked over to his corner and came into his private space.

Draco looked Ron up and down before drawling, “May I help, you, Weasel?”

He watched the way Ron’s eyebrow twitched in anger, and he instinctively backed away when he saw Ron’s face looming in closer to him.

“I don’t know what you did to my brother,” Ron started, his voice low and dripping with disdain. “But I saw that look he gave you. I’ve never seen him give anyone that look, except maybe towards Fred, but I don’t like it. If you do something to him, I swear I’ll cut your bollocks off and feed them to one of Hagrid’s pets.”

“I’d like to see you try,” Draco said, unimpressed by Ron’s threat. “I don’t know what you’re thinking in that puny brain of yours, but I’m not doing anything to your brother.”

“Don’t give me that shite. You had a similar expression, too. You stay the fuck away from George.”

Draco grew perplexed. He had no idea what Ron was alluding to about their facial expressions. “Then, perhaps, do you want me to look at you the way I looked him?”

“Merlin! You’re . . . disgusting! I don’t . . . no! Ugh!”

Whatever reaction Draco expected, this was not it. He scowled, “Oh, piss off, Weasel. You’re making no sense!”

Ron grabbed his wrist, and Draco winced at the harsh grip. “Do you even know what I’m talking about?”

Draco tried to wrench his arm out of Ron’s hand. “No! Let go of me, you fucking peon!”

Ron released Draco, and Draco’s glare grew bigger. “Now, either tell me what you’re thinking in that hapless mind of yours or I’m leaving!”

“You do know . . . ” Ron trailed off, looking a bit sick. He tried again. “You do know he’s gay, right?”

“Gay?” Draco echoed, unsure if he heard Ron correctly.

“Yes. You know a poof? Fairy? Dumble–”

“I know what you mean by that word!” Now Draco felt sick as images of Dumbledore came quickly in his mind, the same wizard he almost tried to kill. A move he’d regretted.

“Yeah. George’s like that.”

“I knew,” Draco lied through his teeth. “Surely you’re not implying that he and I . . . ” George was gay? How did Draco not realise that sooner? He was gay himself, and he considered his “gaydar” to be quite accurate, but maybe it just didn’t work on George.

“That’s why I said if you do anything to him, I’ll kill you.” Obviously, Ron didn’t feel sick any more. But rather, he looked like he was ready to pounce on Draco in an effort to protect George.

“I don’t know what you’re smoking, Weasel, but there is nothing going on between us.”

“I don’t believe you. And I know George.”

Draco scowled and pushed Ron aside. “Whatever. My order’s done. Piss. Off.” Leaving Ron, Draco quickly thanked Hannah for the food, and he went back to the store, his mind whirling with thousands of different things. His mind stayed on one thing, and that was George’s sexual orientation.

Somehow, that made Draco feel uncomfortable. It was strange. It wasn’t as if he was against George being a poof, no. He just never really thought of George as gay, and with Draco being physically attracted to George, that opened up plenty of new opportunities he’d never considered. He wasn’t even sure if he’d consider them, anyway. Fraternising with the boss? Not a good idea. Would George even consider him? Probably not. Ron was a dim-witted and daft fool, so whatever expression he claimed to see on George could be wrong. So the chance of him getting together with George? Zero.

That was what Draco convinced himself as he entered the store. He assured himself that he and George would only maintain a professional relationship.

At least, that was what he told himself.

Draco was now unable to look at George directly in the eyes. Instead, Draco started to avoid George whenever he could.

A few days later, George frowned at the way Draco quickly left his workroom. He noticed a change in Draco, and George finally realised that Draco was avoiding him. Whenever they saw each other, Draco didn’t look directly at him. Whenever they were in the same room, Draco only concentrated on business and would leave right after they finished. Whenever Verity left the two alone in the front for a loo break, Draco didn’t talk unless George talked first.

He puzzled over Draco’s bizarre behaviour, trying to figure out if he’d said something or done something to make Draco act like this.

He couldn’t figure it out. He even asked Verity about it when Draco was off doing the books.

“Hey, Verity,” he asked, trying to look casual. “What’s up with Draco?”

She looked at him innocently. “Nothing as far I can see.”

“He’s acting strange lately.”

“Strange?”

“He’s, er, avoiding me.”

“Then it’s probably all your fault, Mr Weasley,” she said in a disappointed voice.

He gaped at her. “How, in Godric’s name, is it my fault?!”

She gave him an are-you-kidding-me-look. “You must have pulled a prank on him, and it must have upset him lots.”

” . . . He should be used to that.”

“Well, we all got our limits, you know. Though . . . ” She looked thoughtful. “He did start to act funny since Ron’s visit here.”

“You know . . . ” He thought about her theory. “You don’t suppose he was upset about that, was he? I got the impression he didn’t particularly care what my brother said.”

“But maybe Ron’s attitude did upset him?”

“Maybe . . . Ron does need to work on his manners. Maybe I’ll suggest that to Hermione one of these days. Though, she might get upset and hex me instead!” he joked, despite feeling quite upset at Ron himself. He could not deny Malfoy’s rich and spoilt attitude, but he knew Draco was a hard worker. Draco had proven himself to be an asset to the Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, and George respected Draco.

George respected Draco enough to defend him against Ron’s complaints, who had left the store in a huff.

“Maybe you should talk with him?” Verity suggested, and George snapped his attention back at her.

He nodded. “I will. If he keeps this up.”

Just then the door opened and in walked Lee and Angelina.

“Oi, George!” Lee greeted. “You’re looking less dreadful compared to my last visit.” He turned towards Verity. “He’s not overworking and getting drunk up in that workroom, is he?”

“Oh,” Verity said dryly. “He still is. Just a wee bit less than before.”

“Good, because we’re going to kidnap him after you all close the store. He’s coming to a party with us,” Angelina announced.

“A fun party,” Lee affirmed. “And we’re also going to make sure he gets laid one way or another.”

“Lee!” George exclaimed, turning bright red. “Let’s keep my love life private, shall we?”

“What love life, mate? You got none!” Lee cracked up.

“I’ll close with Draco. We can handle things around here,” Verity cheerfully offered.

At that point, Draco walked out, looking surprised. “A Gryffindor gathering, I see.” He waved a hand, an indifferent expression on his face, and continued towards the storage room. “Don’t mind me. Carry on. I’ll have to check the stock in the back.”

“I’ll help,” Verity volunteered.

George tried to look Draco in the eye, but Draco walked away too fast, and George stared at Draco’s retreating figure.

“You, er, hired him?” Lee asked, looking aghast.

“Yeah,” George replied, still staring at the door Draco disappeared behind.

“Why? Have you gone barmy?” Lee persisted.

“No, I haven’t. Now about that party. Count me in.”

Angelina looked at him in surprise, and Lee quickly grinned and looked at her. Lee gleefully said, “Pay up!”

George pretended to look really angry. “So I’m now an object to gamble on?”

“Naw. You’re just a friend we all worry about,” Angelina said.

“Whatever,” George muttered, rolling his eyes.

Verity walked back out. “Still here? You can go, Mr Weasley. We’ll make sure this place doesn’t burn down.”

“Thanks, Verity,” Angelina exclaimed. She grabbed George’s arm and dragged him up to his room. “Let’s go spiff you up.”

As Draco worked out in the front, his mind wandered to what Lee had said earlier. George was going to go to a party of some sort, and he had plans to get laid.

Somehow that idea made Draco feel jealous, and he forced himself to not look disgruntled about it. After all, why should he be jealous? What George did in his private life was none of Draco’s business, so he really had no reason to feel unhappy at the prospect of his boss getting some.

Really, he didn’t, but Draco still felt unsettled by the images of George making out with some random guy at the party.

“Ya all right there?” Verity asked.

Draco smirked, pretending nothing was wrong. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“O~kay,” she said in a singsong voice, obviously not believing him. She didn’t push the issue, and they both cleaned up and closed the store.

Outside, after making sure the entrance was locked, she slapped his shoulder. “Have a good night and don’t be so moody!” She flounced off to the direction of the Leaky.

He shook his head at her antics, chuckling slightly to himself. He was about to Apparate home, but he stopped himself. He really didn’t want to head home just yet. He felt too tense to go home, so he opted to Apparate to this nearby park he discovered a couple of weeks ago.

He came into a hidden clearing with a loud pop, and he walked out into the open, enjoying the tree-filled lanes and the peacefulness of the park. He walked past Muggle couples, youths on some sort of rolling contraptions, and children who were running around with their parents. Slowly, he strolled over to an unoccupied bench. He sat and breathed in deeply to smell the scent of nature. He was glad it wasn’t that warm out, and with the nice breeze around him, he relaxed his posture and lazily watched the scenery.

Just as he was about to close his eyes, he heard a familiar voice saying, “Higher, Grandmamma, higher!”

The voice came from behind him, so he turned around and saw Teddy riding the swing with Andromeda pushing him. Teddy let out a squeal of delight as he soared high in the sky, but since he hadn’t mastered the art of leg pumping, he didn’t go as high as he could. Draco watched the way Teddy acted, so happy and innocent. Watching his little cousin enjoying a more carefree childhood than his own, Draco felt warmed by it.

Draco turned to look at Andromeda, and he noticed that while she looked happy, there was a bit of wistfulness lingering on her pretty, aged face, especially when she briefly looked at the happy couples and families around her. Draco knew that his aunt was most likely thinking about her husband and her daughter.

He wasn’t sure why, but he stood up and headed towards them. Maybe it was loneliness. Or maybe it was the prospect of trying to strengthen his relationship with them, but Draco waved as he neared them and said, “Hello, Aunt Andromeda. Hello, Teddy.”

“Draco!” Teddy joyfully said. With his short leg, he reached out to stop his swinging, and he jumped off the seat.

On instinct, Draco knelt down on the ground, and Teddy ran straight into his chest. “Oof!” Draco pretended to almost fall over from the impact, which made Teddy giggle more.

Andromeda came towards them. “Hello, Draco. It’s a pleasant surprise to see you here.”

“Oh, I just decided to stop by here after work to unwind.” Draco stood up, with Teddy in his arms. “What brings you two here? Other than the swing?”

“We live nearby. This is the park Nymphadora used to play in when she was little, and it’s not surprising that Teddy here loves it.”

“Yeah! I love this place. Grandmamma always push me on the swings! She tells me to pump my legs.”

Draco chuckled. “I see you’re having fun.” He tousled up Teddy’s red hair, which reminded him of George, and he tried not to think of his boss right now.

“Yeah! But I wanna go home. D’you wanna come? I wanna show you my toys!”

Draco and Andromeda shared a look. Andromeda spoke up first. “We would love for you to come over for tea or something. Did you have supper?”

Draco hesitated. While it was true his mother and his aunt had made contacts with one another by owl correspondences, it was unfortunate they hadn’t met up yet. He wasn’t sure if he should go to their house before his mother, but he figured his mother had plenty of chances to visit Andromeda, so he decided to accept the invitation. Moreover, it wasn’t as if he had plans.

“I’d love to. And I’d love to see your toys, Teddy.”

Draco nearly lost all hearing in his ear as Teddy screamed in it. He didn’t care, though, and he carried his cousin all the way to the house.

For the rest of the evening, he played with Teddy after supper. Teddy had plenty of Muggle action figures and stuffed animals to play with, and they acted out various scenes. At one point, Teddy played Albus Dumbledore and Draco played Gellert Grindelwald, and the two of them pretended to fight each other until they were both too busy laughing. Soon, after Teddy was tucked in, he and his aunt talked for a while over tea. It was a pleasant evening. Draco felt happy to be reconnecting with this branch of the family. Yet he couldn’t help but think of George and think that something was missing.

“Angelina? M’not wearing those leather trousers,” George deadpanned.

“Why not? You’ll look great in them!”

“No.”

“Lee!” Angelina whinged. “Help me convince him.”

Lee backed away with his hands up. “Don’t involve me with fashion. If he wants to wear them, he’ll wear them. Otherwise, let him wear what he wants!”

Angelina pouted. “Oh, fine! Wear something boring. See if I care if you don’t have guys lined up for you!”

“My charming wit will bring the guys in, anyway,” George said, giving her a cheeky grin.

As George changed into a nice pair of khakis and a button-down shirt — leaving the top buttons alone to expose his pale and freckled skin — Lee cocked his head and stared at George, who noticed the look and became uneasy. “Do I have something growing on my face? Why are you staring at me like I’m your next conquest? Never mind that I’m not a girl!”

“Nothing.” Lee made a face. “Even if you were a girl, I’d never shag you. You’re not my type full-stop.”

“Thanks a lot!” George exclaimed as Angelina sniggered.

“Anyway,” Lee continued. “You seem happier than before,”

“Excuse me?” George asked incredulously.

“No, really. You changed . . . makes me wonder if a certain someone did the trick.” Lee and Angelina shared a conspiratorial glance.

“What are you mumbling about?” George now sounded exasperated.

“Nothing!” the two chimed.

“Whatever!” George shook his head. “Are we going or what?”

The three Apparated to the club. They were greeted by Seamus Finnigan, who was hosting the party with his wizarding and non-wizarding friends and their friends and so forth so on. George looked around the crowded and noisy place. Music — or at least some sort of music — blared from the speakers, and he saw many couples gyrating and dancing with each other. Apparently sexual orientation didn’t matter here as he saw gay and straight couples.

One gay couple passed by him, and he saw a red-haired bloke with his blond-haired partner, and George felt something squeeze inside of him. He shoved that weird feeling aside, and he went up to the bar to get a drink. Since it was a Muggle establishment, they didn’t have firewhiskey, so he settled for some scotch on the rocks — the brandy selection was utter crap — and he drank it, letting the burning liquid go down his throat.

As he sipped on his drink, he watched Lee and Angelina with their respective dates. They looked like they were having fun, and George felt envious of his friends. His eyes scoped out the crowds, and he saw one pair meeting his. The grey eyes belonged to a stranger with brown hair. George smiled, and the stranger smiled back. The stranger walked towards George, while smoking a fag, and he said, “Hello there, handsome.”

George laughed, feeling at ease with the man. “You flatterer.”

“Oh? I only speak the truth. The name’s Dylan. You?” Dylan’s hand rested on George’s shoulder, and George felt its warmth and its strength in that large hand.

“George,” he managed to croak out.

“Are you by yourself?”

“Yeah. Are you alone as well?” George asked, trying to sound smooth.

“Oh, yeah.” Dylan leaned in closer, and George could feel the hardness of Dylan’s body at his side. “I fancy coming to places like this alone. It’s an adventure to meet new people.”

George let out a gasp when he felt Dylan’s hands on both sides of his hip. Really, it had been too long for George. He already could feel aroused by Dylan’s touches and his sultry voice. George tried to maintain his dignity, though. “It sure is. Do you fancy somewhere a bit more private?”

“Sure. I’ve got a hotel room not far from here. Want to go?”

George hesitated. While he didn’t mind frolicking around with random blokes, he still couldn’t get rid of this unusual sensation inside of him. It felt almost as if his subconscious disagreed with what he was doing right then and now. Yet when Dylan began to nip at his neck, he shuddered and escaped from his momentary chasteness. “Let’s go.”

The walk to the hotel room was a blur as George only remembered wanting to go there as fast as he could. Once in the room, Dylan climbed on the bed first, dragging George up with him. They kissed roughly, teeth clashing and tongues fighting and seeking for dominance, to which Dylan finally gave in. Hands were everywhere. George’s fingers found Dylan’s nipple through his clothing. He teased it while Dylan’s hand disappeared into George’s trousers.

Things started to escalate as George dipped his finger in the oil on the nightstand next to the bed, where it soon began to pleasure Dylan in ways that made him scream and writhe in pleasure. Soon, George was the one gasping and moaning, and when they both reached the climax together, George called out Draco’s name. Dylan’s body was replaced with Draco’s own blond-hair and lithe form, and George only saw Draco,

As he slumped over Dylan’s body, he felt dazed and confused. Instead of feeling the post-orgasmic feeling he sought for, he only could think of one word. Fuck. It repeated throughout his mind as he realised that somehow, somewhere in the past couple of months, he had begun to fancy Draco Malfoy more than he ever expected to.

With Dylan now asleep, George fixed himself up and made his escape. For the rest of the night, he walked all over London and chain-smoked his lungs out as he thought about his newest predicament.

Draco stared at George discreetly from behind one of the cabinets in the store. A couple days ago, he’d been the one who avoided and ignored George because of his unexplainable feelings towards his boss, but now he noticed George doing the same thing. Or at least he thought George was avoiding him. Before, George had tried to talk to him, tried to make their eyes meet, but now George did neither.

It unsettled Draco. He couldn’t help but feel he did something to offend George. If that was the case, what did he do wrong? Was George upset that Draco had been ignoring him? Or did something happen at the party? That was the only logical conclusion Draco could come up with, but even if that party did have something to do with George’s current attitude, it didn’t really explain why George was acting that way towards him!

Despite all that, though, Draco still avoided George. Yet there were times when they had to work together when Verity went on her breaks. When alone, Draco often found himself staring at George’s large hands. He studied the freckles on the back — even seeing two that were attached to each other to form a shape of a peanut — and he studied the long, sturdy-looking fingers. He thought of those hands touching him in ways that should be inappropriate, and he tried to hide his blush.

However, the more he tried to avoid those thoughts, the more aroused he became. At one point, during his break, he even Apparated back to the manor to take a cold shower. A freezing shower that had him shivering at work for the next hour or so even with all the warming spells he cast!

It grew worse, though. His feelings towards George. Though, he wasn’t sure what was worse. His growing attractions or George avoiding him. Unable to determine the lesser of the two evils, Draco grew more and more distracted. Every time they bumped into each other, George’s robes would brush against his, their hands would grazed each other, and Draco even began to have nightly dreams of him and George doing some interesting activities in positions he wasn’t sure actually existed. He really wasn’t sure how much longer he could take this.

A week after that day George went to the party, George reached out to grab something that was next to Draco’s hands. Their hands met for the umpteenth time, and Draco suppressed the urge to grab that hand he constantly dreamed of.

George mumbled something like “I’ll be in the workroom,” and he quickly walked away, leaving Draco alone with his lust-filled imagination.

Alone in the front, Draco allowed his forehead to bang onto the counter. He muttered, “This is going to kill me. I’ll die from obsessive wanking, and the wizarding world will have fun over that news. What a way to die.”

Verity, in her newest hair colour of green with gold tips, walked in, and Draco quickly straightened up. His eyes narrowed at the new hair colour and then eyed the magenta robes. She noticed him staring and beamed. “Like my new hair colour?”

He nodded. “It’s . . . different.”

“I decided on a symbolic look of combining Slytherin and Gryffindor colours.”

“A symbolic look?” He repeated.

“Yeah. I always think it’s neat how those two houses are polar opposites from one another, you know. One house is headstrong and brave; the other is more crafty and plotty.”

“I, er . . . ” He paused as he tried to follow her train of logic. “I see? But why combine them?”

She made a face at him, put her hands on her hips, and declared, “If you can’t figure it out, then I’m not telling!”

“What?” he snorted, rolling his eyes. “Fine. Don’t tell me.”

“And I thought you were smarter than that . . . ” She muttered.

“Why are you insulting me?”

“Because I can.”

“Whatever.” Draco walked off to the loo, and inside he muttered, “I’m never going to understand how a woman’s brain works! Especially one strange as Verity’s!”

In the workroom, George let out a relieved sigh. Ever since his epiphany dealing with Draco, George felt like he’d been walking on a bunch of thorns. Really, he felt like a nervous teenager around Draco, and he forced himself to appear normal, but it was a bloody challenge!

Just the mere encounter of their hands about nearly made him want to pounce on Draco, and George couldn’t recall feeling like this since his days of having the world’s biggest crush on Oliver Wood.

Alone in the workroom, George lit a fag, and he tried to focus on his work. But that proved to be futile as every little thing reminded him of Draco. The grey letters on the parchment made him think of Draco’s grey eyes. The strawberry-cream filled biscuits he had were Draco’s favourite. The paleness of the parchment brought images of Draco’s pale skin in his mind. Even the magenta robes he wore reminded him of just how Draco looked good in that colour!

“Blast it!” George smashed the cigarette out, and he began to pace around the small room. He felt trapped and nervous. He felt like his skin was tight with tension.

He needed a good wank. That was what he desperately needed.

But he was not about to do it in his workroom.

Yanking the door open, he went downstairs to where Draco and Verity were. He was going to tell them that he was going to take a nap in his personal quarters, an excuse for him to take a long needed wank, but before he could open his mouth, Verity said, “Good timing, Mr Weasley!”

George blinked. “What’s up?”

“I’ll need your help to help with something,” she said, beaming at him and Draco. “I have something you two will need to do. Oh! It’s not here, though.”

At that moment, Angelina and Lee appeared. Verity continued with her instructions. “They volunteered to watch the store while we do this.”

George looked at his friend, and his eyes narrowed. He recognised the scheming look on Lee’s face. “Why are you two here all of the sudden?”

“We’re here to help with an important mission,” Lee announced with a grin. “Go ahead, Verity. We’ll be good!”

George knew he’d regret whatever was coming up, but he still followed Verity outside. Draco walked in front of him, and George couldn’t help but stare at the way Draco’s body moved under the robes. He dragged his eyes away and sighed at how he wished he was back in his personal quarters, jerking off to get rid of these sexual frustrations and fantasies he had about Draco.

The trio marched down the streets of Diagon Alley, and George felt conspicuous due to the strange looks and mutterings he received from the spectators, but he ignored them as he only followed his two employees.

Verity entered the Leaky, and she nodded towards Hannah, and then she led them upstairs to a room. Once they were in there, she swiftly walked out and charmed the door to lock.

Both George and Draco exclaimed, “Hey!”

From behind the closed door George heard her say, “Now, you two stay in there until you snog each other senseless or something more I will not dare say in public!”

“What?” Draco now stared at the door, looking quite horrified.

“Verity! This is ridiculous!” George growled out, pounding on the door. “Let us outta here!” He remembered his wand in his pocket, and he whipped it out and tried to cast a spell to open the door, but it didn’t budge. He looked at Draco helplessly, who tried a different spell to no avail.

“I can hear you two casting spells! Sorry, boys, but it won’t work. And I am not letting you two out. If I go another day with you two dancing around each other from sexual frustrations, I’m gonna be the one to go nuts. Have fun in there! Lee and Angelina will help me with the store. I told Hannah to let you out after she hears some interesting noises from this room. Ta!”

Draco and George awkwardly looked at each other. When their eyes met, George quickly looked elsewhere. He cursed himself, wondering if he was that obvious to the others with his strange attitude towards Draco He also cursed Verity, Lee, Angelina, and hell even Hannah for conspiring this sodding plan to . . . to what? To snog Draco? To shag Draco? What in the world were his friends thinking?

Feeling quite dazed from this turn of events, George walked over to the lone bed and sat on it hard. He covered his eyes with one hand, and through his fingers, he peeked at Draco, who was still standing near the door, appearing quite embarrassed and out of place at the moment. Draco also looked quite annoyed — if his thin lips pressing together were of any indication. George studied the slightly reddened cheeks, pondering on just how much redder Draco could get.

He pulled his hands away from his face. He avoided looking at Draco and cleared his throat. “So . . . er . . . ”

Apparently Draco decided to be blunt. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

George raised his eyebrows at the haughty tone. “What about you? Seems like you’re hiding something as well.”

“Humph.” Draco remained tight-lipped.

Since it looked like Draco wasn’t going to really make the initiative, George decided to be the mature one for once by being honest. “Fine, fine. I . . . er . . . ” Even though he’d planned to say it, it still wasn’t an easy thing to say that he fancied his employee. “I . . . erm.”

“You erm?” Draco repeated mockingly.

George rolled his eyes. “I fancy you! Though I doubt you’ll ever feel the same way!” He felt his cheeks warm up, and he knew — without a mirror — that his face was red. He avoided looking at Draco, and although it was too late to take back his words, as he waited, he desperately wished for some hole he could fall into and hide until Draco became senile.

“And here I thought Ron was the one who blurts things out without thinking,” was Draco’s dry response.

“Eh?” George looked up, and he saw a frown on Draco’s face.

“Well . . . ” Draco finally walked over and sat next to him on the bed. An ample amount of space was between them, though. “I guess we ride the same boat.”

“Huh?” George felt like an idiot asking for clarification.

“I . . . I prefer blokes, too,” Draco admitted.

“Oh!” Realisation dawned on George as he sputtered, “I thought you were supposed to do that pureblood duty thing. You know, the whole ‘get married and have an heir’ thing.”

“What about you?” Disdain dripped from Draco’s voice. “You’re a pureblood, too! Where’s your wife and heir?”

“Hey! Bill, Percy, and Ron can do that crap! I’ll just be the loving uncle who spoils his nieces and nephews.” George noticed they were drifting off topic. “But, er, yeah. I’ve been seeing you in a different light lately. I must say that being around you makes me rather hard.”

“Don’t be so crude!”

“I’m not!” George grinned cheekily. “I’m being honest.” He sobered and said, “And you . . . do you feel the same way?”

A long pause arose as Draco took his time to answer. “I . . . yes. However, I do not think it’s a good idea to fraternise with the boss . . . ”

George reached out to cup one of Draco’s still blushing cheeks. “Yeah, it’s not good idea . . . but what if you considered us to be friends first and then move on up from there? If you want, that is.”

“Friends?”

“Yeah. Friends. We haven’t been enemies, and we’ve already established a working relationship . . . let’s up that to friends, eh?”

Draco let out a huge sigh before he grabbed George’s hand, the one still on Draco’s cheek. “Fine, fine.”

George eyed the firewhiskey and two shot glasses on the nightstand. “Now, let’s drink and talk like friends, Draco.” He liked it. He liked the way the name sounded off his tongue. It sounded much better than Malfoy.

“But, Wea — George . . . ” Draco made a face. “Didn’t Verity say something about Hannah won’t release us until she hears ‘interesting noises’ from here?”

George shrugged. “I know of a good moaning spell. Let’s cast that later, after we get a few drinks in us and talk our arses off.”

“Does that also include a so-called snog or shag as well?” Draco quipped back, his grey eyes looking quite smouldering.

“If you want.” George eyed the thin lips, watching the tongue slipping out to wet them. “But I refuse to do it under these circumstances.” Honestly, he really did want to snog Draco right then and now, but not when both were tricked into doing it! George could see the humour in this — and yet he wanted to smack his friends — but he didn’t want to take advantage of this situation at all. No, George would do whatever he wanted to Draco at a different time and place.

“My, my. I didn’t know there was a gentleman amongst you Weasleys.”

“Oh, I can be more than that,” George said. He lit up a fag and started to pour them some drinks. “But for now, let’s drink. I think we deserve it.”

For the next hour or two they drank and conversed on everything regarding from Quidditch to joke items to their days in Hogwarts and even their likes and dislikes. Every once in a while, they’d cast the moaning spell, and in semi-drunken stupor, they sniggered and even called out each other’s name in exaggeration.

George at one point asked, “Think we’re loud and convincing enough?”

“Nah. Let’s make the bed move, too!”

More muffled laughter came out as they spelled the bed to creak and bang against the wall, disturbing the poor soul in the next room. They made plenty of noises, giving anybody an earful of their so-called shag. Eventually, they sprawled out on the bed, their hands touching against each other, and George stared up at the ceiling. He was happy. Draco felt the same way, and he couldn’t wait until they really did get together as a couple so he could snog and shag and do whatever he pleased.

It was evening, when Hannah let them out. She gave them an apologetic look. Her blush didn’t get past George, and that was when he knew that Draco and he had succeeded in making the entire Leaky believe they were having mad, animalistic sex!

As they walked back to the shop, George leaned over to whisper in Draco’s ears, “Help me plan a good revenge on those three.”

Even in the darkness, George saw the smirk on Draco’s face, and that stirred up his suppressed arousal in his groin. “Oh, don’t worry. We’ll do something to get back at them.” Draco’s voice sounded silky; unfortunately for George, that only made him feel more lust towards his new friend and potential lover.

A few days after the Leaky events, Draco Apparated home feeling content. Another good work day came to an end. Now that Draco and George’s feelings were out in the open, Draco no longer felt uncomfortable working at the Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes. In fact, they both would joke around, and whenever Verity wasn’t nearby, they whispered and tried to come up with the joke of the century to pay back Verity, Lee, and Angelina. They didn’t come up with anything unique or special, though, so they continued to plot for the prank.

In between all that, Draco and George continued to talk more about themselves, ate their meals together whenever they could, and helped each other come up with more products for the store. Working and being friends with George felt a bit odd for Draco at first. He never really had a friend like this. In the past, Crabbe and Goyle were more of his bodyguards than friends. Pansy was too possessive and clingy for his liking. And he never really got to know his other housemates because of the impending war and the sides they all took. So Draco never really had the chance to have a friend he could consider in a deeper sense. With George, things just happened naturally, and Draco went with the flow.

As he freshened up in his room, he hummed a song George had been singing earlier, some new Weird Sisters’ song, and he quickly went to the dining room and greeted his mother with a kiss.

They ate, and his mother asked him about how his day went, and Draco did the same. It was around dessert when his mother said, “I’ve invited my sister and little Teddy for dinner here in two days.”

“Oh?” Draco nodded with a stoic expression, but inside he felt glad that his mother finally made the next step. Though he wondered why his mother took so long. What was she doing? Counting all her expensive china so she could show them to his aunt? “That’s great, Mother.”

“I also invited Mr Potter, who accepted the invitation.”

Draco forced himself to maintain his neutral face. Great. Potter would be in his home soon. He only hoped Potter wouldn’t bring any of his wild adventures — like the ones he went through in Hogwarts — here. “That’s nice.”

“Also, do invite Mr George Weasley as well.”

At that moment, Draco had taken a sip of his wine. It took every upbringing in him to not spit it out. “Mother!”

“What’s the matter?” she asked, giving him an innocent look. Draco didn’t fall for it. He knew his mother was up to something. “He’s your boss. He gave you an employment opportunity, so I think it’s only fair to invite him, yes?”

Draco coughed before answering. “I suppose.”

“Besides, I want to meet the man who my son has fallen for.”

Draco’s mouth dropped opened. “Mother!”

“Am I wrong? I’ve seen the way you’ve been acting these past weeks. I know when your heart’s been taken by someone.”

“I . . . ” Draco blushed. He knew that arguing against her would lead him nowhere. Yes, his mother was definitely craftier than Voldemort ever would be. He let out a defeated sigh. “Fine, Mother. I’ll invite him.”

Therefore, Draco found himself inviting George, and to Draco’s surprise, George accepted easily. However, he still warned George about his mother. “I should let you know . . . she figured out that I like you.”

“Oh.” George paled a bit. “Then I guess I shouldn’t bring any samples of my products to her.”

“Right. I don’t think she’ll appreciate them.”

George brightened up at his next words. “However, I can say they are for Teddy!”

“Don’t spoil him now.”

“Aw, come off that high horse. You were probably more spoiled than Teddy is!”

Draco sniffed. “Oh, shut up.”

George smiled and placed his hand on top of Draco’s. “Don’t worry. I’ll woo your mother into thinking I’m an absolute angel.”

Draco responded with a strange look. “I’d love to see that.”

Although George would never admit it to Draco, he felt very nervous Apparating to Malfoy Manor the night of the dinner. Before he did, he checked himself out in the mirror, making sure nothing was out of place. He made sure he had his gifts, and he reluctantly even opted to not bring any of his fags with him. When he found himself in the elegant waiting room, he regretted his decision as his worries made him chew on his gum rather hard. But then he remembered that gum was also considered rude, so he quickly spat it onto a piece of parchment before Andromeda, Teddy, and Harry Flooed in.

“Hey, George!” Harry greeted him. “It’s been a while!”

“Uncle George!” Teddy rushed over, throwing his arms around George’s waist. He eyed the bag Teddy was carrying. “What’s that?”

“Now, now, dear,” Andromeda said. “Let’s not be rude.”

“Okay, Grandmamma.” Still, Teddy eyed the bag.

George greeted Andromeda, and Narcissa and Draco walked in then.

“Welcome!” Narcissa said, going up to her sister. The two kissed each other on the cheeks, and Narcissa bent down to greet Teddy. “And you must be Teddy. My, aren’t you a big boy.”

“Yeah!” Teddy beamed. “I’m three!”

George watched the way Harry and Draco eyed each other warily.

“Potter, welcome,” Draco said stiffly.

“Thanks, Malfoy,” Harry replied with equal amount of stiffness.

“Oh, Mr Potter. Thank you so much for coming,” Narcissa said smoothly.

Harry smiled at her. “It’s a pleasure to be here.”

Narcissa then turned toward George. Their eyes met. Her cool blue eyes contrasted with his brown ones, and he suppressed a shiver that wanted to overcome him. Quickly, he reached into his bag, and he brought out a bouquet of dark pink roses — fresh from Neville Longbottom’s nursery. “Mrs Malfoy. I wanted to thank you so much for this lovely invitation.” He handed the flowers to her, who gave him a surprised look.

“Oh, thank you! But you didn’t need to do this.” She accepted the flowers and gave him a pleased look. She snapped her fingers and a house elf appeared. The house elf wordlessly took the flowers, and Narcissa said, “Please put it in my personal chambers.”

“Yes, my mistress! Libby will do so!” With a crack, she disappeared with the flowers.

Draco walked over to George. Draco’s slender fingers grabbed his hand, squeezing it. George looked into Draco’s eyes, and George came to the conclusion that he had jumped over the first step without any problems.

Harry saw their exchange and said, “I guess the rumours are true? Especially the . . . ah . . . the Leaky rumour?”

George and Draco both glared at Harry who shrank back a bit.

Teddy spoke up, his large eyes looking between Draco and George. “Are you two boyfriend and boyfriend?”

“Teddy!” Andromeda gave an apologetic look towards them. “That’s not polite.”

“But Grandmamma . . . they are acting like Ron and Herminny and Harry and Nev and Bill and Flower. It’s just means they really like each other, right? Right, Grandmamma?” Teddy’s simple acceptance brought smiles to everyone’s faces. Even Draco’s face softened at Teddy’s questioning. It was funny how Teddy, only three, seemed to know more compared to other children his age. George and Draco later talked about Teddy’s maturity, and they both wondered if it stemmed from Teddy’s werewolf genes or not. Or maybe, they thought, Teddy was just a smart child.

In the meantime, George watched Draco kneeling down in front of the young boy. “Right, Teddy,” Draco said. “We do like each other.”

“Then do you still like me?”

Draco chuckled. “Of course I like you. We’re family.”

“Okay!” Teddy grinned, and everyone relaxed.

George remembered his bag, and he handed it over to Teddy. “For you.”

“Yeah!” Teddy looked inside and saw all the sweets and the joke items. “All for me?”

“Well, sort of. Share the sweets with your grandmother.”

“Okay!”

“And . . . ” George caught Andromeda’s warning stare. “Don’t use the joke items on your grandmother.”

“I won’t! I’ll use it on Harry! He likes them!”

“Now,” Narcissa interjected, “let’s all eat.”

The meal went better than Draco had expected. Narcissa and Andromeda conversed with each other. Harry, George, and Draco discussed some Quidditch news amicably. During all that, Teddy would pipe up and ask questions, making everyone laugh at the way he interpreted the answers like a child would.

At one point George whispered to Draco, “Did I win your mother over?”

Draco nodded. George definitely won some points with her with the flowers, and Draco really was pleased by George’s thoughtfulness. He was also impressed by George’s gifts to Teddy. “Yes. You did. She didn’t chew you out, so you made a good impression.”

“Great!”

Everyone was soon stuffed and satisfied. Narcissa and Andromeda excused themselves first and disappeared into the sitting room.

“Now,” Draco looked at the remaining guys and young Teddy. “We have extra brooms, and tonight’s weather is actually quite nice. I also owe Teddy a broom ride. Anybody want to join us?”

“Broom ride!” Teddy squealed. “I want to fly!”

Harry agreed in a calmer tone. George hesitated, his eyes showing the conflicted emotions. Draco remembered how George said he hadn’t flown for a while. Draco had suspected that it dealt with Fred’s death. Before he could say otherwise, though, George agreed. Draco gave George a comforting squeeze of the hand, and he led them outside. “This place is warded, so nobody will see us flying. He pointed at the brooms nearby. “Pick your choice.”

Teddy jumped up and down in excitement, and when Draco readied the broom, he helped Teddy to sit in front of him. “Hold on tight!”

“I will!” Teddy shouted.

Draco gave a strong kick, and they soon soared through the air, with George and Harry nearby. Teddy’s happy laughter and shouts punctuated the otherwise quiet area, and Draco grinned. He remembered when he first went up on the broom with his father, and he’d never forgotten that feeling of the wind rushing past him, remembering the adrenaline-filled ride and feeling like an eagle soaring majestically through the skies.

He knew this was what Teddy was feeling.

Later, Harry offered to have Teddy ride with him, and with Teddy not on his broom, Draco flew around with George.

“You know!” George shouted. “I never noticed it before, but you fly like Fred.”

Draco blinked. “I do?”

“Yeah. The way you hold the broom, that posture . . . it’s just like Fred.”

Draco felt something like dread inside of him. This wasn’t the first time he’d been compared to Fred. While it wasn’t a bad thing per se, it didn’t leave him screaming for joy either. However, he decided to just accept what George said. “Thanks!” He figured he’d deal with the Fred thing later.

“You know . . . seeing you interact with Teddy . . . you’re really good with kids.”

“I think it’s just with Teddy.”

“Whatever’s the case . . . ” George’s face lit up. “I just thought of an idea! I’ve thought of the perfect prank to get back at those three!”

“You did? Tell me!” Excitement filled inside of him, and they flew further away from Harry and Teddy to talk amongst themselves.

After Draco agreed to the brilliant idea, he whispered, “How do you feel flying?”

“Like coming home,” George said, looking a bit sad. “I did miss it, as much as I miss Fred, but flying is really a wonderful thing to experience. I . . . I don’t think I could ever play Quidditch again, though. At least not as a Beater.”

“I understand,” Draco softly affirmed, and he did.

George gave Draco grateful look. “Thanks, Draco. Thanks for reminding me how much I’ve missed flying.”

“Draco!” Teddy’s voice broke the serious mood they were in. “I want to ride with you! Harry’s gonna show me the ‘Wonky Fen’!”

George and Draco both laughed at the way Teddy butchered the name of Viktor Krum’s signature move, and they both flew back to where Teddy waved impatiently from Harry’s broom.

“Are you ready?” George asked. Today was the day. Today was the day he and Draco would play that prank on Lee, Angelina, and Verity. He felt excited. Just like all those times he and Fred conspired their finest pranks, he felt the thrill at the upcoming event. Really, doing this with Draco almost felt like Fred was back with him, and George felt happier than he had in months.

Draco nodded, looking quite unwell. “Yes.”

They entered the front from the workroom, greeting Verity.

She eyed Draco. “Are you all right?”

“I . . . ” Draco rubbed his stomach. “I think so . . . ”

She looked at him with doubt in her eyes. “I dunno. You look like you need to go back to bed.”

George put on a worried face. “You want to . . . ?” But before he could finish, Draco dashed off to the loo. George and Verity heard the muffled noises of retching and the toilet flushing. When Draco came out, looking very pale, George’s face tightened. “That does it. I’m taking you to St Mungo’s!”

“I’ll be fine,” Draco protested.

“No, you’re not fine!” George looked at Verity. “Can you call Lee and Angelina and ask if they can cover for us?”

“Of course!” Verity quickly had them come. Lee and Angelina soon came into the store, looking worried. It was a good thing both Lee and Angelina worked night jobs currently, so their mornings and afternoons were free.

“What’s up?” Lee immediately asked.

“Draco’s not well,” George said, with a grim expression. “I’m taking him to St Mungo’s.”

Angelina glanced over at the still pale Draco. “Right. We’ll stay as long as you need us.”

George grabbed Draco by the arm, and he slowly led them out of the store. When they were near a hidden alleyway near St Mungo’s, George quickly cast a Disillusionment Charm and a Silencing Charm on them. George burst out laughing.

Draco laughed as well. “I think we fooled them.”

“Oh, yeah. I can’t wait until we deliver the final scene.”

“I can already imagine their reaction. It will be great. I must say you are pretty sneaky . . . a very Slytherin trait for a Gryffindor like you.”

George smirked. “Well, the hat did tell both Fred and me that we’d be perfect for that house, but we both argued against that idea.”

“I’m glad you guys did! The Slytherin dungeons would not be standing if you two were there.”

Draco leaned against the wall of the building, letting out a satisfied sigh. George stepped closer to Draco, and with his hands, he trapped Draco against the wall. Putting on a fake glare, he declared, “The dungeons would still be standing even if we were there.”

“Promises, promises.”

George leaned in closer until there was barely any space between them. One of his hands reached out to stroke Draco’s pale cheek, which still looked a bit sickly from a spell Draco had cast earlier. “Here’s a promise I can fulfil right now.”

Draco’s voice hitched. In a hoarse voice, he asked, “What?”

“This.” George closed the remaining gap and started a slow, teasing kiss. He heard Draco’s soft moan of pleasure, and George grew more excited as he deepened the kiss, his tongue tracing Draco’s lips, which soon parted. Taking that as a permission, he slipped his tongue inside Draco’s mouth, and his tongue entwined with Draco’s. That made something in his groin come alive, and George soon was groaning into Draco’s mouth.

When they parted, Draco said breathlessly, “You kiss well.”

“Of course. Name something I’m not good at!” George said, his lips trailing down to suck on Draco’s neck.

“Mmm. Your handwriting is quite atrocious.” Draco tilted his neck, giving George more access to the delicious skin there. One of George’s legs slipped in between Draco’s, and it stayed there comfortably as he started to suck the skin on Draco’s sensitive and willing neck. He felt Draco’s strong grip on his shoulder, his robes being scrunched up in Draco’s hands, and that somehow turned him on more.

“Of course my handwriting is crap. I’m an inventor. Not a professional penmanship person.”

Draco’s groan excited George, so he dared to unbutton the robes a bit and allowed his hands to explore the chest and the torso there. “G-George! We’re in public!” Draco hissed, which didn’t sound as effective considering their current predicament.

“We’re blended into the wall.”

“But still . . . ah!” Draco cried out when George’s fingers found one of the nubs. George lightly pinched and twisted it, turning it into a hardened pebble.

“You like it?” George grinned and move onto the other nipple.

“Shut up . . . ” Draco shuddered out, his sensitive body writhing against George’s. “As much as I enjoy this . . . can we please not do it in public?”

“Not an exhibitionist, are you?” George teased before he gave Draco another kiss. Then he let go and stepped back with a sigh. “Fine, fine. But what are we going to do to make the time go by? We can’t return to the store this soon.”

Draco glared as he fixed his robes and his appearance. “I don’t know. But next time you do this, please do it in a private room!”

“Oooh! You didn’t want me to stop, right? That’s why you’re pouting.” George enjoyed this. Teasing Draco like this was quite exciting and amusing. It was as if nothing really fazed him, but now George knew just the way to break that icy exterior.

“Oh, piss off.” But Draco smiled a bit. “You know . . . you do overwork yourself too much at time. You should relax more.”

“You can help me with that!” Draco’s reaction to that was to whack George on the head. “Ow!”

Draco continued as if he hadn’t hit him. “Let’s go on a date. For all this trouble you put me through, you owe me a dinner at that new, ritzy restaurant in Hogsmeade.”

Now, George pretended to pout. “Spoiled brat.”

“Yes, and I’m your spoiled brat.”

George sniggered. “Okay. It’s a date. Tonight?”

“Yes, tonight.”

“Excellent.”

Draco gave George a devious smirk. “Do I still look as if I’ll need to spend my time in the loo?”

“No, you look quite ‘pleased’ with that glow.”

Rolling his eyes, Draco opened the door to the store, and they entered and saw three worried faces behind the counter. Verity spoke up first. “Are you all right? What they say? You got a bug of some sort?”

“Well,” Draco drawled out, clutching his stomach. “Not a bug per se, but I do have something.” He took a peek at George, nearly smirking at the proud look at George’s face.

“What?” both Lee and Angelina asked.

Draco and George looked at each other before Draco answered, “We’re expecting a child.”

For the next minute or so, nobody said anything. In fact, it was so quiet, that Draco could literally hear the store’s clock ticking away. When the three finally overcame their shock, they all started exclaiming various statements.

“Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?!” This was Verity. Her mouth was opened so wide, that Draco wondered if he should start throwing stuff in there to practice his aim.

“No way!” Angelina’s eyes bugged out from her face. Draco couldn’t help but think this was a good look on her.

“That’s bloody impossible!” Lee’s antics were the most amusing. With his hands on his head, he started to pace back and forth.

Draco retorted at the last comment. “That’s not impossible at all.” He gave them a scowl. “We’re wizards! Anything is possible.”

“Yeah, but a man getting pregnant is not one of them!” Lee said, looking quite ill, probably at the idea of a man carrying a baby. He stopped pacing and looked warily at Draco’s stomach. “Is it a boy or a girl?”

“Oh, it’s a girl,” George piped out. He grinned in a silly manner and reached out to rest a hand on Draco’s tummy.

“Right, so we’re going to have to go shopping for baby paraphernalia soon . . . ” Draco turned joyfully towards George. “Instead of pink, I want our daughter to have purple. I really can’t stand pink.”

“No way!” George disagreed. “I want red and gold to be her colours.”

“I am not going to let our daughter be in those hideous colours.”

“Well, she’s not wearing green and silver.”

Oh, for Slytherin’s sake. I said purple! Not green and silver.” Draco clucked his teeth at him. “Has the excitement destroyed some of your hearing?”

“I think pregnancy is already making you quite bitchy. Doesn’t that mood swing issue start later on?” George asked, looking thoughtful.

“Uh, guys,” Lee interrupted, his eyes now gazing at Draco’s stomach. “Did you tell your . . . families yet?”

By now, Draco really had to bite his lips to prevent the laughter that was threatening to escape him. Really, their reactions were better than he’d expected. He and George shared a knowing look, and they both started to laugh.

“Whoah,” Lee muttered. “If having a baby makes the parents insane, then I don’t think I’ll ever have children myself.”

Draco laughed harder, which prompted a glare from Lee. Gasping, Draco tried to compose himself. However, one look at a disgruntled Lee had him starting again. “You tell them, George!”

“Tell us what?” Verity asked, a confused look gracing her face.

George quickly recovered and said, “We fooled you! Draco isn’t pregnant! You guys fell for it!”

“The fuck?!” This time Lee, Angelina, and Verity said this together.

Draco finally stopped laughing. “Consider this payback from before where you guys plotted us to be locked in that room at the Leaky.”

Verity gave them a dirty look, but it disappeared as she started to giggle herself. “I can’t believe we fell for it. I mean, really. Men can’t get pregnant!”

“Not yet, anyway,” Angelina said. “I guess we deserved that joke. I must say . . . it was quite brilliant.”

Draco pointed his thumb at George. “Meet the mastermind of the prank.”

Lee sighed. “I should have known. Actually, I should have expected this.” He cocked his head to the side. “This was definitely something you and Fred would have come up with. Though the idea of you and Fred shagging like rabbits is very, very frightening.”

A disgusted look came on George’s face. “I know where your mind is all the time now. I mean . . . ew! Lee! I knew you were perverted, but this is beyond gross!”

They all laughed, and Draco, feeling funny at being compared to Fred, stopped laughing first. He looked at his new “friends” around him, and he felt happiness lingering in him. But something was off. Something he knew he had to confront sooner or later.

He decided it would be later. Right now, he had a date to look forward to.

Intermission

From the Journal of Fred Weasley
August 2001

Well, well, well. Things are finally moving around down there while things remain the same up here. I’m glad my twin and Malfoy are finally together . . . sort of. I have to say they are a better match than I expected. The prank they pulled off against the three had me laughing. When I told that story to the Marauders, Mrs Potter, Professor Snape, and Reggie, we all had a good laugh. Well, I should say that the Marauders and Mrs Potter did. Professor Snape and Reggie just looked rather sour at the whole male pregnancy thing.

I’m pleased by how happy my twin seems to be lately. Malfoy, too. As long as that Ferret doesn’t hurt Georgie.

The only thing left now is for them to really come together and do the mating ritual that they’ve managed to bypass before. But before that happens, I sense some kind of trouble brewing between them. A problem that I might have to help resolve by verbally smacking some sense into George. I think that time to finally use up my second visitation right will be here soon.

In the meantime, though, Reggie wants to play a round of Exploding Snap. I shall fulfil that request . . . only so I can beat him. Who knew a guy like Reggie would be an excellent player? Oh well. Better him than Aunt Rachel!

Part III: Looking Another Way

“Hey, Draco.”

“Hm?”

George grinned at how hard Draco concentrated on his work. Then again, he could not fault Draco’s work ethics. Things at Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes had never been more organised like before. The books were all in order, and since Draco had taken over writing the orders, businesses had stopped complaining about his horrible handwriting. Draco had the neatest copperplate. Everything was running smoothly with his business.

George was pleased, of course. He was also feeling less morose than before. Sure, he still missed Fred, but somehow the stabbing pain in his heart had lessened. He had Draco to thank for that. His family, especially his parents noticed, which led to what George had to ask Draco next.

“My mum’s been asking for you to come over to the Burrow. Would you like to come tonight? For dinner?”

Draco looked up from the books, a wary expression gracing his pointy features. “Well, I reckon it would be impolite to turn down your mother’s hospitality.”

“Is that your way of saying yes?” George teased.

“Oui, ja, si, hai, nae . . . ” Draco raised an eyebrow. “I’ve said yes in French, German, Spanish, Japanese, and Korean. Is that sufficient?”

“You’re a wanker, you know that?” George wrapped his arms around Draco and planted an affectionate kiss on one of his cheeks.

“I try to be. But yes, I’ll go tonight.”

“Great!” George let go and was about to tell Draco one other thing before he heard Verity hollering from the front. “Whoops. The banshee’s calling me.”

Draco sniggered, and George walked out of the room to help Verity with whatever she needed. He figured he’d tell Draco later.

But he never had the chance. At least not until they were outside the Burrow. He turned to Draco and said, “Just to let you know, everyone’s here.”

Draco clutched at the bouquet of flowers he’d somehow managed to buy before they closed the store. “What do you mean ‘everyone’s here’?”

George began to count off on his fingers. “Bill’s family’s here, Charlie and his boyfriend’s here, Percy and his girlfriend, Ron and Hermione, Harry and Neville, Ginny and Dean, and my parents. Oh, and I think Teddy’s here, too. Andromeda’s busy with something, so I think Harry and Neville have been watching him.” At each names, Draco’s pale face turned paler, though it brightened considerably when he mentioned Teddy.

“That many people?” Draco looked very uncomfortable.

“Well, you know I have a rather large family.”

“Yes, but I just thought it’d be us and your parents . . . ”

“Not at the weekly gathering.”

“You just had to invite me to the gathering, didn’t you?”

“Of course. I want them to meet the man I’m dating.”

“I had no idea you were such a sentimentalist,” Draco said dryly, his cheeks taking on a pink hue.

“Now you know!” George cheerfully led them inside. In the dining room, he saw that they were the last to show up, but nobody noticed them at first.

Teddy’s happy “Draco!” halted all conversations, and all eyes were turned towards them. George saw several different expressions. He saw a few surprised faces, a couple of wary ones, a happy face, a neutral face, and one full out glare.

“What is this git doing here?” Ron gritted out.

“Ron!” Both Hermione and their mum exclaimed. His mum quickly stood and walked around the long table bulging with food. She stopped and gave George a hug. Then she turned to look at Draco.

“I’m happy you’ve decided to come over, Draco.”

George had to bite back laughter at the suave look on Draco’s face. In a silky voice, Draco brandished the flowers and said, “I thank you for the invite, Mrs Weasley.”

“Oh!” She accepted the flowers with sheer surprise and happiness, tears coming to her eyes. “Oh, dear! You didn’t have to do this.” Still holding onto the flowers, she crushed Draco and the flowers into a big embrace. Draco let out an “oof”, and slowly he hugged her back.

“Now, Mum. Let’s not hold up dinner any longer than necessary,” George said, helping her let go of Draco before he suffocated. “I’m starved!”

“Yes, yes! Have a seat!” She hurried off to the kitchen, most likely to put the flowers into a vase.

George squeezed in next to Bill, and Draco sat next to him. On Draco’s other side, Teddy sat there.

“Draco! I got a new toy today. Can I show you after we eat?”

“Of course,” Draco ruffled Teddy’s hair, making Teddy giggle. “I hear you’re staying with Po — I mean Harry and . . . Neville. Are you making them rip their hair out yet?”

“No! But they take forever to find me when we play Hide n’ Seek! I’m good at that game.”

His mum came back to the table then, and she said, “Eat up before the food gets cold!”

As he ate, he watched Draco. He’d expected Draco to look tense, but Draco looked rather relaxed as he chatted with Teddy about new toys. He looked at the others, and they all acted as if having a Malfoy at the table was a usual occurrence. Well. Almost. Ron still glowered angrily, but he and the rest of the family ignored the death glares directed at Draco.

At one point, it was Bill who asked, “So how’s the store?”

“Oh, it’s great!” George said. “Draco here is a big help. The other businesses . . . ”

” . . . don’t complain about his handwriting anymore,” Draco finished up.

“And with Verity still there . . . ”

” . . . who has some interesting colour choices . . . ” Draco interjected.

” . . . things are running smoothly.” George smiled as they shared a knowing look.

Everyone at the table stared at them. Ron spoke up first, “Why are you two finishing up sentences like Fred . . . Ow!”

“Ignore him,” Hermione said crisply. “Please pass the salt.”

George saw the slight frown on Draco’s face, but it was only there briefly. Quick as a Snitch, it disappeared, and Draco turned towards Harry and talked about Quidditch.

After that, aside from Ron constantly muttering under his breath, dinner went without a hitch. Draco and everyone acted civil. George considered it a success. He was pleased, and he wanted to show Draco just how happy he was by doing something more than just snogging, but he decided to wait. He wanted to do it when it was more special.

He smiled sardonically to himself when he was alone in his room later that night. Since when did he become such a sentimental sod? If Fred was still here, he’d surely tease George endlessly. Then George would find something to tease Fred about until both then turned to tease someone like Ron.

As George thought about all this, he felt a tug on his heart. He fell into a dreamless sleep, with Fred and Draco the last thing on his mind.

Draco was glad he survived that massive gathering last week. Although he knew things were still shaky — especially with Ron and maybe even Dean and Ginny, he knew that George’s family and friends were getting used to the idea of George dating a Malfoy. He was surprised that they were able to put the past behind and accept things as mature people. He was expecting the worse, actually, but the Weasley clan acted otherwise. Had it been a gathering of Slytherins to which he had brought George, he knew things would have turned rather unpleasant.

Thankfully, he survived that dinner, but something about it left him feeling unsettled. That one comment Ron almost blurted out gave him a revelation. He’d been trying to ignore and deny his gut instincts on the matter, but now he really couldn’t avoid it. He really wondered if George liked him or was only replacing him as Fred.

His stomach clenched at that realisation, and he knew he’d have to confront George one of these days. His only problem was how he should approach it.

The day came sooner than he expected.

Both Draco and George were working on a new invention, a project that made them stay up really late. In fact, they both had fallen asleep at the table in the workroom. Draco woke up first, groaning at the stiffness in his neck and shoulders. He glanced at George, who sat next to him, and Draco sniggered since George was drooling on the table. He shook the George awake, who woke up startled.

“Who, wha–?” George rubbed his eyes. “Oh. I guess we both knocked ourselves out here for the night. Good thing we’re closed today.” He leaned over and planted a soft kiss on Draco’s cheek.

“Yeah. My neck’s killing me.” Draco grimaced as he turned his head back and forth. The kiss was nice, but Draco wished for something more. George really wasn’t taking the relationship much further. Draco wondered if he’d have to start the next step. He didn’t mind, but he decided he’d try something after he made his soreness go away. “Mind if I borrow your bath? I think I’ll need to soak in some hot water for a while.”

“Go ahead! Just don’t stay in there for three hours like before,” George said, reminding of their last all-nighter project. “You’re just like Fred. I swear, you two practically live in the bath until the water gets cold.”

Draco was about to ask George to join him, but that invitation all but disappeared as he stared at George. His stare slowly turned into a glare as he said, “Stop that.”

“Stop what?” George looked perplexed.

“Stop,” Draco clenched his fists, “comparing me to him!”

“Who?”

“Fred!” Draco couldn’t believe how thick George was acting. “You’re comparing us. I . . . I don’t like it.”

George stood up quickly, and Draco followed, ignoring his muscles protesting his action. George gave Draco a hurt look and said, “Look. I dunno what you’re trying to say, but I don’t mean to compare you to Fred or to anybody.”

“You are, though. You . . . I . . . I feel like you’re only seeing me as a replacement for him.”

“What?!” Currently, George looked more upset as he lashed out with, “Why are you uttering crap like this? It’s . . . are you mad? Nobody can replace Fred! You’re fucking deluding yourself if you think your high and mighty self can replace my twin!”

“High and mighty?” Draco sneered out. “Is that how you see me? You prat!” He turned around and stalked off to the door. “Forget about your offer! I’ll just do it at my place.” Without waiting for a response, he left and Apparated to the manor in a huff.

As he paced around his room, his bath now long forgotten, he muttered, “How dare he say crap like that. Then again, I’m sick of him comparing me to Fred. Of course I can’t be Fred’s replacement! I’m not Fred! I don’t want him to see me as Fred. Why can’t he just see me as who I am?”

A knock on the door interrupted his tirade. “Come in,” he grumbled out.

The door opened, and Draco was taken by surprise at seeing Teddy. He then remembered that his aunt was busy with her work, so she asked if Teddy could stay at the manor starting last night.

Teddy stepped inside, looking around while he sucked on a finger and clutched onto a stuffed bear and a blanket. “Draco? Are you talking to a ghost?”

Draco wasn’t expecting that question. “Uh, no?”

“I heard you talking.”

“Oh. I was talking to myself.”

“Oh!” Teddy walked up closer, his blanket dragging on the floor. He eyed the sofa, and he climbed onto it, looking so small. “I do that, too. Talk to m’self. It’s fun, but it’s boring. It’s more funner if I talk with someone else other than m’self and ‘Harry Teddy’.”

Draco’s mind was probably still asleep since he had a hard time following what Teddy just said. Holding back a sigh, he sat next to Teddy, and he had to ask, “What’s ‘Harry Teddy’?”

“Oh? This!” Teddy stuck the bear in Draco’s face. “Grandmamma bought this for me. She called it ‘Harry Teddy’. She said both me and Harry’s name!”

Draco studied the bear. He still didn’t grasp why it would be called “Harry”. He touched the bear, feeling its fuzzy fur. It was certainly a furry bear, and Draco found it quite cute, but where did Harry Potter come into it? As he fingered the fur, he finally understood. Furry is equivalent to hairy. His aunt probably said the bear was hairy, and Teddy mistook “hairy” as “Harry”. Draco held in his laughter and said, “Well, I am very honoured to meet ‘Hairy Teddy’.”

“You want to talk to him? You can talk to me, too!” Teddy plunked the bear on Draco’s lap. “When you talked, you sounded like a lion. Are you angry?”

The lion reference reminded him of Gryffindor, which then reminded him of George, and Draco sighed. “I am a bit upset, yes.”

“At me?” Teddy’s wide eyes nearly melted him, and Draco couldn’t believe how a mere child could have such an effect on him.

“No! Not at you, Teddy.”

“Then Uncle George?”

“You’re only three. How did you know?” Draco teased, covering up his surprise at how astute a three-year old can be. Then again, he shouldn’t be surprised. He and George did discuss how Teddy seemed to understand adult concepts better than his peers.

“I’m almost four!” Teddy said indignantly. “But what did Uncle George do?”

“Oh . . . ” As Draco tried to think of a simple explanation, he figured out then just how stupid and how immature their argument had been. Actually, Draco wasn’t happy with the way he’d handled the argument, acting almost spiteful at the whole Fred thing. He chalked up his poor behaviour from the lack of sleep and his sore neck. Even then, he really shouldn’t have acted like that. He should have stayed and tried to talk to George about it, not blowing up like a hormonal teenager or something.

“Draco?”

“Oh, sorry, Teddy. Just thinking. George and I just had a silly fight.”

“Did he take your toys?”

Draco chuckled. “Nothing like that. We just had a misunderstanding. I’ll talk to him tomorrow.”

“Okay. You should! Grandmamma always says we should talk and use our words nicely. That’s why I talk with ‘Hairy Teddy’ and Grandmamma and Harry and Neville and you! I like talking to grown ups. With Mummy and Daddy gone far away . . . I have lots of other people to talk to.”

“That’s true.” Teddy’s innocent chatter hit him. Maybe he was too harsh to think he was being Fred’s replacement. Maybe he was just judging this wrongly and making stupid assumptions. It was obvious George missed Fred, just like Teddy was always missing his parents, and Draco wasn’t really thinking from their point of views. Then again, aside from Crabbe, nobody really close to Draco ever had died yet. How ironic that talking to a three-year old could open Draco eyes in ways he’d never considered before. It was also ironic that George Weasley and Teddy Lupin of all people were making him feel like he had a purpose in life again. He remembered just few months ago how empty his life had seemed, the endless black hole he thought he’d never come out of if it wasn’t for his mother giving him that push. Now, though, he had a lover, a little cousin he enjoyed being with, and a decent job that challenged him and brought him unexpected and fulfilling happiness.

“So now what?” Teddy asked.

Draco picked up the bear in his lap and rubbed Teddy’s face with it, making him giggle. “Now, how about some breakfast? Then a broom ride! Today will be your special day. We’ll have a lot of fun.”

“Yay!” Teddy hugged Draco. “You’re my favourite realtive.”

“Realtive? Oh! Relative?”

“Yeah! I’m glad we’re cousin one removed.”

As he burst out laughing, Draco ruffled Teddy’s hair. “Me too, Teddy. Me too.”

George scowled at the wall as he lit up a fag. Not only was he pissed off at Draco’s accusations, but he was tired as all hell as he walked out of the workroom and headed to his room, passing by Fred’s unchanged room. Upon reaching his bed, he threw himself on the mattress, and the bed squeaked and groaned from his impact. Still smoking, he now frowned deeply at the ceiling.

“Just what the fuck was that about?” George asked to the ceiling, expecting no response, of course. “Who does he think he is to think I’m mistaking him for Fred? Hasn’t anyone figured out that nobody, nobody can replace Fred? Fucking hell . . . ”

He stewed in anger for a little while before his eyes closed on him. He barely remembered to put his fag out as he allowed himself to get some kip.

A few minutes later, though, he was rudely “awakened” when a bucket of water was poured on his head.

“What the hell!” he spluttered, wiping his eyes as he looked his workroom for the person who was going to be his newest hex victim. When he saw it was Fred, he started to grin, which soon faded when he saw an unpleasant expression on his twin’s face. He transformed his face into a frown. “What was that for?”

“You know why.”

“No, I don’t.”

Fred rolled his eyes. “You do. Stop being so thick.”

George let out a sigh. He felt happiness, sadness, and annoyance whirling inside of him. Happy to see his twin again, sad to know this was only a brief dream sequence, and annoyed at Fred’s cryptic attitude. “Fred, why are you here in my dreams? I mean you were here before telling me to hire Draco as the assistant. You wouldn’t tell me why before, but I’ve figured it out. You wanted us to get together, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, that was it. And it worked. Until both of you started to act like stubborn teenagers.”

“I didn’t act like that,” George retorted defensively.

“Okay,” Fred grinned. “Maybe not like that, but you should stop comparing Malfoy to me. I mean . . . come on. How can you even compare us without wondering how that’s possible?”

“I don’t compare him!”

“No, you do. Not all the time, but you do make comments that makes Malfoy feel like he’s my replacement.”

George looked away, his eyes flashing with emotion. He took a deep breath to calm himself down before he continued. “Do I really make it seem like I only see Draco as your replacement?”

Fred nodded. “But I know you don’t do it on purpose. It’s probably subconscious. After all, how can anyone not miss me?” He gave a cheeky grin, and George sadly smiled.

“Yeah. Only fools would.”

“Hey! Not nice! Then again, you’re calling yourself a fool!”

“Shut up!” George exclaimed, a grin appearing on his face.

“But really, Georgie. You need to move on. I think you’re doing pretty good so far, but you still need to jump over that invisible hurdle.” Fred reached a hand, which touched George’s cheek. It felt cool as George watched the fingers curved. “I hate how I can’t really touch you myself. Sucks that I can’t even pinch or punch you.” Fred casually put his hands on the back of his head while he toed the ground with his foot.

“Whatever you say, Freddie,” George said, trying to disguise the sadness at the fact that he couldn’t touch Fred either.

“Also, quit smoking! You’re lungs are probably black with all that inhaling you do! And one last thing? Stop treating my room as a shrine! That kind of weirds me out, you know? You treat me like I am some ancient deity of some sort. While I’d love for pretty birds to worship me as a sex god or something, I do not want you to enshrine my room like that!”

George rolled his eyes. “Anything else?”

“Yeah. When are you gonna shag Malfoy?”

“Fred!” George now admonished Fred.

“What? You love the git, don’t you?”

“Love?” George sighed. What Fred said was the truth. Somewhere, somehow, he’d fallen in love with Draco. With the truth said out loud, George felt relieved. “How’d you figure it out before I did?”

“I’m your twin. I’m the older twin. That means I’m the smarter one.”

“Oh, for the love of Merlin . . . ” George rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“Anyway, when are you planning on doing some shagging? And none of that fake crap show you put on earlier in the Leaky!”

“Are you always spying on me? Blimey, Fred! Are you gonna watch . . . never mind! Piss off! That’s none of your business!”

Fred sniggered. “Shag him soon! I think both of you are suffering from sexual withdrawal — hence that unnecessary argument you two had! Now, I’ve got to get going. Snog and make up with him, all right? Oh! One last thing. When you come up here, you owe Aunt Rachel ten hours of your marvellous company while I get to beat the pants off of Reggie at Exploding Snap!”

With that final statement, George jumped awake.

Groggily, he rubbed at his eyes, and out of habit, he reached out for the fags before he remembered Fred’s “request”. He snatched his hand away and instead just lay there, thinking about the dream he just had.

He felt bitter at the fact that Fred was dead. He felt bitter at the argument he had with Draco. But what he really felt deep inside of him was fear and dread. He didn’t want to lose Draco like he lost Fred. Of all the guys he’d been with, he felt the deepest connection with Draco. Maybe it was because they started off in a platonic relationship. Maybe it was because of Draco’s charming and sarcastic personality. Maybe, at the beginning, he had inadvertently seen Draco as a Fred substitute, but Draco was anything but Fred. Yes, he did see many similarities between Fred and Draco, but Draco had his differences, too. Draco was Draco, and George knew he’d be miserable if he and Draco were to separate. As Fred said, George loved Draco, so not having Draco would be pretty dismal.

A little while later, he left his room, and he stopped in front of Fred’s room.

After Fred’s death, George had only been in there once. He had cast a dust-free spell and other spells to ensure nothing went mouldy. Since then he hadn’t been in there because it was too painful for him to be in his twin’s room. In a way what Fred had said to him was true; he’d been keeping this room as homage, a shrine of some sort, but perhaps it was time to move on. He’d always grieve and miss Fred, but Fred didn’t want him to act like this.

Taking a deep breath, George opened the door and took tentative steps inside. He was greeted by the afternoon sun coming in through the window. The curtains there were in the deepest shade of navy blue, Fred’s favourite colour, and as the breeze wafted in, the curtains fluttered gently. He stared at the Falmouth Falcons poster on one of the walls. A smile crept on his face as he remembered how Fred had declared that if their joke shop ever failed, he’d take over the Falcons and rename it to “Fred Falcons”. George would always tease and say, “How about Freddie Falcons instead?” using Fred’s hated nickname. That would always cause Fred to throw a pillow or harder objects at him, and they both would start a fight that usually made the room turn into a huge clutter.

Just thinking about their fights made his chest hurt, but George ignored it and stepped up to the bed. He sat on the mattress and leaned against the headboard surrounded by pillows. Fred had loved pillows, and he always made sure there were at least five of different sizes, unlike George who’d rather have two and be happy. He gazed at the fake spider collection on the dresser. Both he and Fred liked all sorts of insects and spiders; it was a shame most of their family members didn’t share their enthusiasm, especially Ron. He smirked at the memory of how they had started Ron’s arachnophobia.

That then made him remember the beginnings of their plot to start up a joke shop. It was their second year in Hogwarts. They had created their first invention — a candy that changed anyone’s or any animal’s hair or fur into the brightest shade of pink. Mrs Norris had found a piece — which incidentally they left behind — and she had eaten it. They were thrilled to see Filch screeching his pretty head off at this one third year. But then the third year snitched on them, so Filch gave them a good chase. Luckily, they escaped into a hidden passageway in the castle, and once Filch was gone, they laughed and discussed about their future career.

Since then, they hatched jokes after jokes on unsuspecting victims. They were proud of their achievements. But the day he’d always remember and knew that Fred would always remember as well, was the day Harry Potter had given the Triwizard Tournament winning to them. Harry’s generosity was what allowed them to reach their dreams.

It was a shame Fred had died, though, leaving George alone with their dreams. George sighed as he felt tears in his eyes. He and Fred had always considered crying to be the antithesis of what they believed in. Laughing was what they always favoured. Crying was only allowed if they’d laughed too much. However, he decided to forget about their preferences, and he cried.

When he was done, he left Fred’s room. He planned to change the room into a guest room. He thought of Lee, thought of Angelina . . . and he thought of Draco. The room would no longer be Fred’s room. It would be just a room.

But first, he needed to send an owl.

By evening, Draco was exhausted. Entertaining Teddy all day long had been fun, but as someone who’d already didn’t sleep enough the night before, trying to keep up with a three-going-on-four-year old was enough to test anyone’s stamina! Draco was puzzled. He couldn’t comprehend on how someone so small can have enough energy for ten people.

As exhausted as he was, though, he still joined dinner with Teddy and his mother. Teddy chattered on about all the activities they did today, and Narcissa listened intently.

“Well, Teddy dear, I think you wore out Draco.”

“Wore out? He’s still wearing clothes, Auntie Cissa.” Teddy looked at her with a bewildered expression.

She giggled softly. “I mean I think you made him tired.”

“Really? Do all old people get tired quick?”

“No, dear. Just Draco.”

“Thanks a lot, Mother,” Draco huffed out, but he only pretended to sound annoyed.

“My pleasure, darling.” She took a sip of her wine.

Their meal was interrupted with a loud “Hoot”. Draco looked and saw a familiar owl landing next to him. He saw the letter and eyed the magenta envelope. George. He quickly gave a treat to the owl — ignoring the glare the owl gave him like last time — grabbed the letter, and said, “Please excuse me for a minute.”

Leaving the dining room, he stared at the letter for a minute or two before he opened it and read the very short letter in the barely legible writing.

Draco,

Thanks,
George

He clutched at the letter, trying to read in between the lines. It was succinct, and that made him nervous. Was George going to break it off? Was George going to fire him? Since when did he start to worry about such matters? If he broke up with George he could always get another guy, right? And another job, too, if someone hired him! But Draco knew he didn’t want to do that. He didn’t want to lose George at all. Plus, he liked his current job. It was nowhere near what he envisioned when he was younger, but it was a fun job. Each day was different, what with George’s constant pranks and Verity’s new colour scheme, and he surprisingly liked how his routine would be mixed with spontaneity. Was he turning into a Gryffindor? Then again, he was in love with one.

Love. Yes, he was definitely in love with George Weasley, and he didn’t care about the fact that he was a Weasley. Strange, since just a few years ago, he’d have Crucioed whoever told him he’d be in love with George Weasley of all people, but now he couldn’t deny that fact.

Shoving his worries aside, he went back to the dining room and sat at his spot.

“Anything wrong?” his mother asked.

“No. George just wants me to come in earlier tomorrow.”

“I see.”

“Draco?” Teddy started. “Can Uncle George come tomorrow? I want to play with both of you.”

“We’ll see,” Draco promised absent-mindedly. “We’ll see.”

Next morning came too soon for Draco’s liking. Inside, his stomach was doing the its own dangerous Quidditch moves, his throat felt like he had a Galleon lodged there, and his hands felt clammy like he was near a Dementor. On the outside, though, he tried to stay calm and stoic. He met George in the front.

“Morning,” George said first.

“Good morning,” Draco answered stiffly.

“Do you want anything? Tea? Coffee? Juice?”

Draco wondered if this was how a break up happens, though he had no idea just how beverages correlated to a break up. He shook his head. “I don’t need anything.”

“Okay. Wanna go talk in my room?”

“Fine by me.” At this point Draco hadn’t really looked at George directly, but now he tried to meet George’s eyes, who unfortunately turned around too quick. Instead, he followed George to the room. Once in there, they both sat on the bed. Draco couldn’t help but sense the similarity of their current situation to the Leaky incident. He rested his hands in his lap and stared at them.

George cleared his throat. “I want to apologise. I, er, all these times had no idea I’d compared you to Fred. That was never my intention. You and Fred are alike at times, but you’re not Fred. I . . . I . . . ”

Draco looked up then to see a bright red blush on George’s cheeks. “Yes? You what?”

“I love you. I mean. I love Fred, too, but not like that!” George quickly amended. “Please don’t think like Lee. I’m not perverted like him! I mean, I’ll never think of Fred like that! I mean . . . Merlin forbid! I . . . fuck. I’m bollocksing this up.”

George looked so flustered. Draco couldn’t help but feel pity towards him. He reached out to grab the side of George’s face, and his other hand rested on George’s jean-covered thigh. He momentarily paused to study the red hair and the red cheeks. It was a good match, surprisingly, as images of George in a tomato costume ran in his mind. Mentally, he shook his head, bringing his attention back to George. “Are you done rambling? I understand what you mean, and I . . . I love you, too, okay? And because of that, I think I was more upset with the idea of you seeing me as Fred’s replacement. I want to be your partner, your lover. Not your twin. I, I . . . ” Apologising was not Draco’s strong point. But he wanted to say it because he did mean it. “I’m sorry for overreacting and not talking about this with you in a mature fashion.”

George’s face softened at Draco’s explanation and apology. “I think we were both idiots yesterday.”

With his hand still on George’s face, Draco’s thumb began to trace George’s lips. They were chapped, and he felt the uneven ridges. George grabbed that hand and stilled it. “Can . . . I want us to . . . make love.”

Despite himself, Draco smirked. “So polite and gentlemanly now, aren’t we?”

“Oh, you . . .” George grumbled. “Fine! Can we shag?”

“You, my good sir, have zero skills in the wooing department,” Draco deadpanned.

“Ah, but I do have good skills in other departments!” With that George leaned in and captured Draco’s lips with his.

“Mmmph!” Whatever Draco was going to say next was muffled by George’s passionate and eager lips. He felt George’s tongue seeking entrance, and he let it in, his own hands burying themselves in George’s hair. The kiss deepened, the tongue in his mouth caused electric sparks that made him grow excited in multiple ways. Soon, though, he needed oxygen, a very important necessity in his life, and Draco broke the kiss. “Well, you’ve proven you can kiss well.” Panting, he ran his hands all over George’s hair and face.

George smirked, and Draco smirked back, fully intending to wipe that off George’s face. This time, Draco initiated the kiss, and he kissed fervently, even pushing George down on the bed. To get comfortable, Draco straddled George, and that was when he had proof on just how much George wanted him.

The kiss broke a second time when George flipped them over, and Draco found himself on his back. “Someone’s excited . . . ” Draco panted out.

“Yeah, and so are you.” George began to unbutton the robes, revealing Draco’s pale skin. Upon each revealing, George kissed the area, the kisses soon turning into light nips. Moaning, Draco arched his back, his sensitive body seeking more of George’s ministrations, his hands grappling to grab onto George’s own robes.

Their lovemaking progressed from there. It wasn’t long until Draco was being prepped gently and lovingly by George. It was painful, but Draco didn’t mind. He knew the pain would subside and be replaced with pleasure soon. When George finally entered, Draco was bombarded by all sorts of senses. His hands were entwined with George’s, his hair was all out of place, and he was covered in a light sheen of sweat. He could taste George when they kissed again. And when George began to move, Draco joined him, feeling like he was flying, but in a different way. As they both soared through the imaginary sky, Draco and George reached the goal together.

It was over soon, but Draco knew this was only the beginning of a change.

They lay there, cuddling together, basking in the afterglow, and George said, “I’m finally going to change Fred’s room to just a room. Also, I’m going to quit smoking.”

“Oh? That’s good. At least you’ll smell better from now on. And you’re changing the room?” Draco quirked his eyebrow.

“Yeah, it’s gonna be a guest room or something. Will you help?”

Draco teased, “With the room and helping you quit that habit? Yes, of course. Will I get a bonus pay for dealing with a cranky boss who’s trying to quit?”

“If you want. Or better yet . . . bonus sex!”

“And you said Lee’s the perverted one? I wonder who’s really the perverted one.”

“Shut up.” George then glanced at the time. “Shite! We’re have fifteen minutes to open up the store!”

Right on cue, they heard Verity’s loud voice calling, “Are you two up there or what? Do I needta get a crowbar to separate you boys?!”

“Coming!” George shouted, looking around for his clothes. Draco followed, at a much slower pace. His lower body felt quite tender. George noticed. “Take your time.”

Draco grimaced. “Yes, Mother.” He then remembered something. “Can you come over today to the manor? Teddy, who’s staying with us for a couple of days, asked for you.”

“I’ll be glad to.”

“Excellent. You can take Teddy up for a broom ride, today.”

“Why? Oh . . . oh!”

“Yes, you can be thick at times,” Draco sniggered.

“Whatever. At least I’m not the one with a sore arse.” With that George escaped the room, and Draco let him go for now. He’d plan a revenge for later. Right now, he had to hurry up and dress up. He didn’t want Verity to see him naked. And though he’d never admit it out loud, he also grew quite fond of the magenta robes.

“George?”

“Yeah?”

“Why did Verity give me a scheming grin and thumbs up all day today?”

George took a sip of wine before answering. “What do you mean?” He kept his face straight, even though Draco could read him pretty accurately.

“What,” Draco’s eyes narrowed, “are you two hiding?”

“Hiding? Nothing!” George grinned.

“That grin says it all. Please, whatever you’re plotting, don’t do it here.”

Here was the fancy restaurant in Hogsmeade George had been manipulated into taking Draco to weeks ago. “But I have to! It’s part of my plan.”

“What plan?”

George smiled. He’d told Verity his plan, and she agreed it was perfect. He worried about one thing, though. He wasn’t sure how Draco would react. He took another sip of wine and he took a deep breath. “Draco Malfoy? Would you . . . ” he paused.

“This isn’t a marriage proposal, is it?” Draco asked curiously.

“Not really. Well, sort of?” George hurried on before Draco turned sarcastic. “I want to promote you, Draco. You deserve it. You do more than a regular shop assistant by doing the books, helping me with the invention, and promoting businesses with other companies. I want you to be my full-fledged partner in Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes.”

George was tempted to duck his head. He didn’t want to see any negative reaction on Draco, but he kept his head up. Draco’s face was neutral, and that nearly drove George mad as he waited for Draco to say something. Anything.

“Will the store name change to ‘Malfoy and Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes’?”

Well, that wasn’t quite a reaction George had expected, but it was better than Draco throwing hexes around or something. “If you want,” he said as calmly as he could.

Draco laughed. “I’m just kidding. We’ll keep the name the same. I . . . you sure?”

“Yes. I’m sure. Like I said, you deserve it.”

“Well, naturally,” Draco said smugly. “I’ll be happy to accept your business proposal. Though I don’t see how this is different from a marriage proposal.”

“Oh, stop being a wanker,” George bit out, though he now smiled widely. “Now, let’s celebrate for real!”

The celebration went well. Draco and George talked about new business ideas over a delicious meal. Lastly, they had what Verity would call “wild monkey humping adventures” in George’s room.

As they lay in bed, George thought about how much things had changed since Draco came in to his life. Had he not listened to his twin before, he’d probably still be smoking, still be depressed, and still be the overworking joke shop owner who put up a false face to pretend he was a cheerful prankster. He didn’t have to do that now, and it was all thanks to his twin and Draco.

That night, Fred visited in his dream one last time.

“Hey, you. I’m glad you finally fixed your life,” Fred said as his greeting.

“Yeah, yeah. You want me to grovel at you, right?”

“That’d be nice, but it’s not necessary. I’m glad you and Malfoy found each other.”

“Er, how do you feel about him being my new . . . ”

“Business partner?” Fred finished up. “Good choice. My last suggestion regarding business is to hire that Nott kid in the future. He’s got a good head on him. He’ll only waste away in his current job.”

“Since when have you turned into a Slytherin supporter?” George teased.

“Oh, since I’ve met Reggie. He’s an amusing Slytherin. Unlike Professor Snape who’s anything but amusing. But hire Nott, will you?”

“Yes, your highness.”

“Oh, whatever.” Fred gave George a bittersweet smile. “This is my third and final visit to you in this manner. Next time we meet will be when you finally leave here. I’ll be waiting for you, okay, Georgie?”

“Yeah.” George’s throat constricted, and the words could barely come out. “Fred . . . thanks.”

“Not a problem.” Fred’s eyes twinkled like before. “Just don’t do anything stupid, okay? Be happy. Live your life to the fullest and all those fun philosophical quotes.”

“I will,” George said, and he woke up. He looked down in his arms and saw Draco in his embrace. With a soft smile on his face, he kissed Draco’s cheeks and repeated, “I will.”

Epilogue

From the Journal of Fred Weasley
September 2001

Finally. Now George can live without my interference. I can finally relax here without worrying my arse off about him.

Now, all I have to do is maintain this journal, figure out a way to find someone else to be Aunt Rachel’s victim for the next century or so, and beat Reggie at that bloody game!

Oh, and I’ll still keep an eye out for George and Malfoy. Looks like Nott’s a nice addition to their business down there. Too bad I’m not there. Things would really be hopping if I were still alive!

Then again, maybe when they all come here, we can create a joke shop here! Hey . . . now there’s an idea! Plus the Marauders are here! It’ll be perfect! And I have plenty of time to convince the authorities here to open up a joke shop! Ready or not, the Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes will have a new branch soon!

Ending Notes

– The whole “Harry Teddy” thing stems from this drabble I wrote (which can be read here: http://snarky-slytherin.net/id/drabbles/hairyteddy.html) and this is the teddy bear I was thinking of when I pictured it in my mind: http://www.christiebears.co.uk/images-cb/gallery/large/124.jpg.
– I’m aware Verity’s a bit different from what little is portrayed of her in canon, and I felt like since she really didn’t have much exposure in the book, I decided to add a bit to her character. I still see her as “proper”, but I figure once she got used to working at the WWW, she’d be more outgoing. Also, her hair . . . yes, she’s blonde, but let’s just say she went through a life crisis of some sort, and instead of buying a sports car or something, she decided to experiment with her hair.

‘Twas the couple weeks before Christmas, when all through the flat, not a creature was stirring, not even a rat. That is with the exception of two creatures who were arguing their heads off. Imagine a red-headed man, along with a snowy-blond man. One was obviously a Gryffindor, and the other was a Slytherin. Believe it or not, they were madly in love with each other, but one would not be able to tell since they constantly argued with one another! But that fine line between love and hate had all but disappeared between these two men.

And indeed these two were desperately in love. This would be their second Christmas together, and they already did many activities to show their Christmas spirit. They hung stockings by their fireplace. Never mind that they used the said fireplace as a transportation device, the Christmas stockings, made by Molly Weasley — who decided that the jumpers weren’t enough, hence the stockings — went there for the sake of tradition.

They both knew that Saint Nicholas would not be there to stuff their stockings, but they had both planned on putting surprise goodies in there when the other wasn’t looking.

At least that was the original plan.

Right now it looked more as if the two would end up strangling one another instead. Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy pitted against each other in a very intense argument. Actually, it seemed like one did more work than the other, but that was not the point. The point was that had it not been for the silencing charms around their place, their neighbours definitely would have heard a bunch of colourful expletives from the arguing couple.

“You think I need a larger size? What the bloody hell do you mean? Are you saying I’m small?!” Ron bellowed to Draco, who didn’t even flinch at the loud volume of Ron’s voice. In fact, even the spittle from Ron’s outburst didn’t deter Draco at all.

Calmly, Draco responded. “You said it. I only merely hinted at my dissatisfaction.”

“Since when did you become such a size queen?” Ron demanded, his hands resting on his hips.

“You just never bothered to ask if the size was ever an issue. I simply chose not to bring it up since it really wasn’t a big issue back then.”

“For fuck’s sake, Draco, is it really a problem? I mean are you going to be a wanker about this just because of something I have no real control over?”

Draco walked — no glided — over to an armchair and sat on it, crossed his legs, folded his arms in front of him, and gave Ron a bored look. “I’m a Malfoy, Ron. We always want the best for ourselves. You of all people should know that by now. Really, I knew you were dense, but at this rate, you are really making me question your mental capabilities.”

Ron stalked over to where Draco sat and hovered over him. “Well if you’re going to be that Malfoyish about the damn size, then go get yourself a sodding dildo!”

“A dildo . . . ?” For a brief moment, there was a look of confusion and then a glint of mischief in Draco’s eyes before it disappeared. His face resumed its bored expression. “Maybe I will. Thanks for the suggestion.”

“What?!” Ron leaned forward, reaching around Draco and gripping the sides of the chair, trapping the blond. “You thought I was serious? How dare you think of replacing me with a damn piece of rubber? Have you gone mad?”

Draco chuckled softly. “You suggested it. Now you’re saying I shouldn’t take the idea into consideration?” He paused and looked upward to gauge Ron’s emotions. “Really, that’s a fantastic idea. If you can even remotely afford it, why don’t you get me an excellent, high-quality dildo? I heard the glass ones are the best; you wouldn’t want your lover to be contaminated by diseases from the plastic ones, would you?”

Instead of responding to Draco’s bait, Ron stormed off, leaving Draco to stare after his lover with a mischievous smirk.

A couple of days later, Ron walked into the sitting room where Draco was relaxing with a book and a cup of tea. He promptly stopped in front of his lover and dropped a package in Draco’s lap. “This is for you.”

Draco set his book down and stared at the generic white package. “I know Christmas is around the corner, but isn’t it a bit too early?”

“Hey, you’re the one who complained about that issue the other day. I’m just trying to exemplify how much of an idiot you’re being about this.” Ron said this defensively, crossing his arms in front of him and giving him a look that bordered on being triumphant and exasperated.

Draco raised an eyebrow. “If I recall correctly, you’re the one who proved to be all miffed up about that issue.”

“Shut up and open the package.”

“All right.” Draco followed Ron’s request. He soon stared at the contents of the package with an indecipherable facial expression, and for a good few minutes, silence reigned in the room.

“It’s what you wanted, right?”

In a strangled voice, quite uncharacteristic of Draco, he managed, “Really. Have you gone absolutely, positively daft?!”

“Well, no, but it is what you wanted!” he protested in his own defence.

“A dildo. While it is an interesting concept and all, must it be an umbrella-shaped one of all things?!”

“It was the only one they had that was made of glass!”

“Probably the only one in your price-range, too, I assume.”

Ron glared darkly at Draco. “Hey, not everyone is rich and overflowing with galleons like you are. Like I said, it was the only one they had.”

Draco coughed, his cheeks now stained with red from either anger, embarrassment, or both. “Admit it. You just watched Mary Poppins one too many times.”

Ron began to sputter loudly. “No, that’s not it! I mean, yes it is my favourite movie ever since Harry got me the Dee-vee-dee player, but — that is not the point!” He calmed himself down and tried again. “I got it for you because you said you wanted it! For Merlin’s sake, I . . . ”

“You what?” Draco prompted to get Ron to continue.

“You’re the one who turned into a size queen! And as much as I hate the idea, I just wanted to make you happy!” Ron finally managed to say.

“Oh for the love of Salazar.” Draco stood up, making sure the package was in a safe place, and he stepped closer to Ron. He tilted Ron’s head up with his index finger under Ron’s chin, and he saw anger and insecurity mixed in those blue eyes.

“You are so daft. Did you really think I’d replace you with that thing?”

“Well . . . no, but it did make me wonder.”

“It was a joke. Besides, when I was referring to the fact that you ‘need a larger size,’ I meant your clothes.”

“My clothes?!”

“Yes, your clothes.”

Ron scowled. “Nothing’s wrong with them.”

Draco exhaled exasperatedly. “The bottoms of your robes are at least five centimetres above your ankles, as well as your sleeves only coming below your elbows! Not to mention that your trousers are too high up, as well, whenever you want to dress like a Muggle.”

“They still fit and are comfortable, Draco,” Ron said, a frown etched on his forehead. “Besides, I can’t believe you were talking about my clothes this entire time when I thought you meant something else.”

A slow, amused smile crept up onto Draco’s face. “It is hardly my fault that you jumped to the conclusion like the Gryffindor you are.”

Ron snortled. “And you, my sneaky Slytherin, acted perfectly like one, deceiving me to believe something entirely different. Beautifully done.”

Smirking, Draco pulled Ron closer by the front of the robes. “Before we go on, I am serious about your clothes. I hardly think it is right for only one of us to look like a decent human being while the other looks like he’s in a dire need for an entire wardrobe fix.”

Ron automatically wrapped his arms around Draco’s slim waist. He began to nuzzle against the area between Draco’s neck and shoulder. Breathing against the pale skin, he said, “Yes, yes. You can be a sodding prick over my clothes later. In the meantime . . . ”

“Yes?” Draco asked huskily.

“I want to try that present out on you. I think a little bit of a punishment is in need.” Ron began to nip at the sensitive skin, sucking and twirling his tongue on the reddened spot. “I want you to be sprawled out on our bed, I want to tease you with that toy until you beg and plead for me to enter you. Once I do, I want to fuck you so hard into the mattress that you won’t walk straight for the next few days.”

As Ron’s description went on, Draco’s breath became more ragged as his hands clutched the back of Ron’s robes. “Let’s do it.”

“In due time, love.” Ron let go of Draco and backed away. He grabbed the dildo and started to walk towards their bedroom. With his free hand, he tugged on Draco’s wrist. “But first, let’s take a bath together.”

“You’re making me wait? You’re evil. More evil than a typical Slytherin.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Once in the bedroom, after putting the dildo on the bedside table, Ron pulled Draco into his embrace, and he kissed him. The kiss was long and drawn out with Ron exploring the warm, familiar caverns of Draco’s mouth, his tongue examining every nook and cranny. He gripped Draco by the hip, drew him closer, their groins grinding against one another. The pleasurable sensations with the combination of needing oxygen made him break the kiss, and in the dimly lit room, he studied Draco’s flushed and mussed up appearance.

“Why’d you stop?” Draco panted.

Ron grinned. “I still want that bath, you know.”

Draco groaned, his hips bumping into Ron’s. “You’re really evil. I ought to use that dildo to smack you up on your head instead.”

“That would be a waste.”

“Ron,” Draco said, rolling his eyes. “Stop yapping and let’s continue this. Otherwise, I may come to the conclusion that the dildo may be a better substitute for you.”

Ron growled and pushed Draco onto the bed. “I think not. After this compare and contrast experimentation, I will definitely have you say with truth that ‘Weasley is my King.'”

“I accept this challenge with honour, Ron.” Draco, lying on his back, traced the outline of Ron’s lips. “But quit your melodramatic, Gryffindor speech-making skills and carry out the experiment.”

“Okay.” Ron leaned and captured Draco’s lips again.

For the rest of the night, the only sounds being heard were bumping, groaning, moaning, and screaming of joy. Both creatures were stirring and not even the arrival of the non-existing Saint Nicholas could interrupt their occupied state.

Click on the image for the larger version. Fanart by Chibi Toaster.

If you stare into the Abyss long enough the Abyss stares back at you. — Friedrich Nietzsche

The Muggles didn’t start the war; the magical folk of England didn’t either. It was inevitable. The bloodshed, tears, pain and death; the tears of parents who had lost children drowned the streets of Hogsmeade. When the truce was declared, it was already too late. Everybody had already lost too much, and childhood innocence couldn’t be bought back.

Ron Weasley stood there and watched as they signed the Magi-Muggle Peace Accords. He saw the Minister of Magic shaking hands with the Muggle Prime Minister in the midst of flashes from cameras and cheers from the crowd.

But he didn’t cheer.

He couldn’t.

And, standing beside him, Draco didn’t cheer either. Together, they stood silently and watched as the aura of peace settled over their world, and Ron wondered how long it would be until the next war.

— from Peace is Just a Facade by Ayla Pascal

He can’t move.

All around him, he sees dead bodies. Bodies that have been so brutally mutilated that he can’t even tell if they’re male or female. He sees so much red, so much blood on the dead and on the ground around them.

Clutching his gun and knife, he tries to move back. All around him, he hears screams and yells. He hears begging and pleading. He hears threats, gunshots, and shouts that fade as the victims die.

He’s finally able to move, and when he does, he trips over an unidentifiable item. With a loud thud, he lands into something warm and sticky. He looks and sees that he has landed on a pile of freshly killed Muggles, wizards, and witches. He sees the wide-open eyes, the gaping mouths where blood has gushed out, and he smells the dying, rotting flesh. He fights to keep the bile down and tries to breathe through his mouth.

Dread and horror overcomes him, and he attempts to push himself off these corpses, but then a heavy, boot-clad leg crushes into his chest, and he looks up at the owner of the foot. The sun is directly above the unknown man, and with the sun’s bright glare, he cannot see the man’s face. The only thing he does see is an evil smile and a gun being pointed at him.

Ron shouts just as the gun goes off, and that’s when he wakes up in his bed.

Gasping, he covers his sweaty face with his hands, and he fights back waves of nausea. He pants and blinks away the tears that have come to his eyes and struggles to calm his racing heart down.

The bed shifts, and he hears a sleepy voice say, “Ron? Are you all right? What happened?”

Feeling Draco’s nimble hands touching him through his soaked pyjamas, Ron manages to rasp out, “I’m fine. Just a bad dream.”

Even though it’s dark, Ron senses Draco’s frown. “You’ve been having way too many of these.”

“I’ll be fine,” he nervously laughs out. “It’ll pass eventually.”

“It’s been over six months.”

Ron feels better at hearing Draco’s scorn-filled voice. “Don’t be such a worried git. I’ll be fine.”

He knows Draco has stiffened, and he forces himself not to laugh at the mental image of Draco ruffling out his imaginary peacock feathers. He lies back on the bed and pulls Draco into an embrace. He hears Draco sigh. “Fine, if you say so. Let’s get some more kip.”

Ron agrees, and with his arms still around Draco, he listens to Draco’s breathing. Eventually, Draco has fallen back into a deep sleep, but Ron is unable to snooze. Instead, he listens to Draco snoring, which gives him comfort at least. Ron stays awake because he knows that if he returns back to his slumber, a new nightmare about the war will pop up.

He does not want to be in that hell again.

“Ron? Ron? Ron!”

Harry Potter’s voice makes him nearly jump out of his chair at Dean and Ginny’s small dining table.

“Oh, for Merlin — I mean — never mind! What is it, Harry?” Ron has nearly spouted out the wizarding curse he has grown up with, the curse he has forced himself not to say anymore.

He watches the way Harry, Ginny, and Dean exchange worried looks. Harry asks, “Are you all right?”

Ron nods, despite feeling the opposite. He feels exhausted and very tense, but he blames it on his sleepless night.

Ginny doesn’t look convinced. “Are you–”

“Yes, Gin, I’m sure!” Ron responds tersely back at her. Ignoring a dirty look from Dean, Ron forces a smile at his sister and his friends. He picks up the serviette he’s been doodling and writing on, hastily stuffs it into his pockets, and absently looks at his watch. “I’ve got to go. Thanks for the food.”

As Ron stands up, he pats his side, glad that his wand is in its holster, but then he almost panics when he doesn’t feel his gun or knife. A wild look comes on his face as he searches himself for the missing items.

“Ron?” Harry slowly gets to his feet, walks closer, and reaches out a hand.

“Don’t touch me!” he snarls, clutching onto his wand.

Harry backs away with both hands up in defence. Dean and Ginny rise up as well.

“Ron?” Ginny says in a gentle voice. “What’s wrong?”

“I . . . I can’t find my stuff.”

“What stuff?” Harry asks softly. “Your weapons?”

Ron nods frantically. The weapons must be at home. They protect him, and he needs them. Preferably now. He’ll be defenceless without them in case an attack arises. He feels absolutely incomplete without them. “I’m going home. Maybe I left them there.”

Before anyone can stop him, Ron Apparates away.

The rest of the day passes as Ron spends all day looking for the gun and the knife. They are nowhere to be found in the flat. As he searches, he tries to recall the last time he has had them and where he may have placed them. But he cannot find them. Instead, he ransacks the entire flat; clothes are strewn everywhere, books and papers are carelessly tossed on the ground, and there are even a couple of broken glasses that have slipped out of his shaky hands in the kitchen. He finally gives up, feeling tired and numb, and he sits on the sofa.

Later, when Draco Apparates with a loud crack, Ron is still on that sofa in the sitting room, changing the channels on the telly, his eyes blank as they watch the blur on the screen.

“Ron?” Draco’s voice sounds worried.

Ron doesn’t respond at first. He changes channels a few more times before he drops the remote. He knows Draco’s standing in front of him, and he glances up. He half expects Draco to have an evil smile like that faceless man in his nightmare, but he doesn’t see that. He doesn’t even see Draco’s customary smirk. All he sees is Draco’s anxious expression. He looks deep into the grey eyes, and he then remembers the mess he has made. He jumps up quickly, startling Draco.

“The mess. I meant to clean it before you come back.” Ron tries to laugh lightly, trying to get Draco to not question him of anything. “I’ll clean up and make us some sandwiches or something. You can take one of those long showers you love taking!”

He starts to walk away, but he feels Draco’s strong hand grabbing his wrist. “Wait. I’ll help you clean.”

Ron shakes himself out of the powerful grip. He faces Draco with a tight expression. “It’s fine, I tell you. I’ll do it. Just tell me one thing. Where’d you put my gun and knife?”

“Your stuff? It’s . . . you’re the one who hid them. You wouldn’t tell me where you were going to hide them.”

“I . . . I did?” Ron doesn’t remember doing that. He narrows his eyes and studies Draco intently. Is Draco lying to him? Perhaps he’s a spy working for the Muggles?

Draco nods.

“Oh, well, er, it’s okay. It’s not a big deal.”

A long silence passes before Draco breaks it. “I received a Floo-call from Harry earlier today at work.” Draco now works as the head liaison officer for the Muggle and Wizarding Alliance Organisation.

Ron fidgets with his wand. “And?”

“I think we’ll need to have a talk.”

“About what?” he asks unpleasantly. He’s aware something uncomfortable is inside of him, especially since Draco is being rather cryptic.

“You. I’m worried about you.”

“I’m fine. I’m just a bit exhausted from last night!”

Ron watches Draco step closer. “You didn’t sleep after that nightmare, did you?”

“I did. I slept,” he fibs through his teeth, watching Draco take another step towards him. Ron backs himself several steps until he finds himself against a wall.

“Stop lying,” Draco angrily spits out. “Just tell me the truth.”

“Look,” Ron declares, stepping sideways past Draco. “Let me clean the mess up. Please!”

He hears a heavy sigh. “Fine, but we’ll talk later after supper.”

“Okay.” Draco stalks off to the bath, and Ron begins to wave his wand around, cleaning up his mess from earlier. While he does that, he can’t help but be alert for any Muggles who might blast their way into the flat with those dreadful guns, bombs, and whatever else that cause death.

In the end, Ron somehow convinces Draco he is fine, so after supper, they don’t talk about whatever’s supposedly wrong with him. They instead have fun watching some DVDs; Ron’s current favourite series is SpongeBob SquarePants. He enjoys watching this show, but he feels bad since he knows Draco hates this show, who at the moment is currently muttering about how it has no aesthetic appeal.

Ron grins. “You know you like him.”

“I do not!” Draco answers haughtily. “He’s so ugly! And honestly, who lives in a bloody pineapple under the sea?”

“SpongeBob does.”

Ron receives a patented Draco Malfoy glare. “After this episode, we are watching a show of mine.”

“What show?”

When Ron sees the smirk, he has a feeling he is going to be in for a long night. “South Park.”

It’s Ron’s turn to groan and glare. He absolutely despises that series, much like Draco’s dislike for SpongeBob. “Fine, fine. But I’ll watch it only because I love you. And so I can review this for The Quibbler.”

After the war, Ron has decided to do something about his love for television shows and films by writing reviews about them in the The Quibbler, which still publishes unusual news, but Xenophilius Lovegood has decided to incorporate some additional sections about the Muggle lifestyle. Thus, through his connection and friendship with Luna, he has started his own review column. He loves this job since the best part is when he can watch the DVDs with Draco.

So they settle on the sofa happily, and the rest of the night passes with no problems.

A few days later, Ron doesn’t really feel any better. His nightmares constantly plague him, making him seek solace by staying up late, watching episodes after episodes of SpongeBob and other shows on the telly. Draco tries to stay up with Ron, but Ron, knowing Draco’s work schedule, convinces him to sleep early, and that he will sleep later, but he never does that. At least not for more than an hour at a time.

As the days fly by, Ron becomes more and more exhausted, becomes edgier and tenser, and becomes more withdrawn as he tries to pretend everything’s normal.

Yet something’s terribly wrong, and Ron refuses to acknowledge it.

He starts to not even care about his beloved shows. He’ll have them on, but then he’ll stop paying attention to them and only stares at the screen emptily. That isn’t the only thing he loses interest in, though.

“Want to play chess?” Draco offers one day.

“Chess?” Ron sees the game he has always loved, a game Draco has never appreciated. Shaking his head, Ron continues, “No. I don’t like chess anymore.”

He turns to look the other way, so he can avoid the shocked, confused, and hurt expression on his lover’s face.

After Draco leaves for work, Ron tries to write a review for one of the films he has recently seen, but he doesn’t want to. All he wants to do is crawl back into their bed and huddle under the covers.

He does that, and he stares into the darkness.

Later, he hears the phone ringing, but he ignores it.

It rings again and again, and Ron just stays in his bed, shutting out the ringtone that sounds like bombs going off in their flat.

Draco and Ron are eating breakfast. Like all the other nights before, Ron hasn’t slept for more than an hour. He tries to act as if he’s fine. But those tense and jumpy feelings make him more aware of all the noises and sights in their flat, and he tries to conceal his problem by sipping on his morning tea.

Draco clears his throat, and that small sound makes Ron jerk up, spilling some tea all over the table.

“Bugger!” Ron curses, wiping up the mess.

When he finishes, Draco continues in a calm voice. “I think you should consider going to a mind healer.”

Ron forces himself to respond in a composed manner. His grip on his teacup tightens as he say, “I don’t need a mind healer.”

“I think you do.”

His hold on the teacup goes tighter. “Are you saying I’ve gone insane? Crazy? Mad?” Ron sneers out the last word, but Draco remains unfazed.

“I never said you were any of those. I just think you, and perhaps even myself, should seek out some help that we aren’t fully capable of diagnosing and curing ourselves.”

In a flash, Ron stands and hurls the teacup past Draco, hearing the loud crash. He grabs onto the edge of the table and stares down at his still sitting partner. Ron’s eyes take on a crazed look, and he snarls, “Is this your way of telling me to fuck off? Do you want to break up that badly?”

He watches as Draco quickly rise, who then slowly comes around the table, his hands outstretching to touch Ron.

Ron stumbles away from the treacherous hands, ignoring the pained expression on Draco’s face. “Ron, please, I’m not trying to do anything but get us help. I don’t want to break up! That is not my inten–”

“Shut up!” Ron bypasses Draco and reaches for the door. “Leave me alone! Go find a fucking mind healer, one who you may find more suitable as your fucktoy!”

Ron leaves the flat with nothing but his wand. No coat, no hat, no robe, just his wand.

He jogs down the stairs, skipping the clunky lift, and he runs out into the crowded, noisy street. With no destination in mind, he sprints down the road. All he wants to do is to forget all the hurtful words he has said to Draco, and he truly wishes to forget that wounded look on Draco’s face — the same face that has almost made his heart rip in two.

Ron doesn’t return until two days later. When he finally does so, he finds Draco looking very haggard on their sofa. Despite his obvious fatigue, Draco still glowers at Ron. At the front door, Ron squirms uncomfortably at Draco’s intense look. As the scowl deepens, he expects Draco to scream at him, to throw things at him, and to kick him out and officially separate.

Draco refrains from doing any of that. He only opens his arms, and Ron has never felt more love for him as he runs into them. He stays in Draco’s protective arms, and he pushes back a sob and apologises.

“Shhh. It’s all right, Ron. I’m sorry I brought that up to you so callously. We’ll . . . we’ll only do it when you’re ready,” Draco comforts him, planting soft kisses on the freckled cheeks.

Ron enfolds his own arms around Draco’s waist, and he just apologises until he finally pulls Draco into a rough kiss. He feels Draco accepting the kiss, and Ron whispers the spell that will remove all their clothes. Right on that sofa, Ron caresses, kisses, and pleasures Draco. Hearing the soft cries of lust and desire, Ron strokes Draco’s hard-on, and his other hand prepares Draco for the next step.

When he and Draco move together, Ron feels a burst of panic deep inside of him, and that makes their love-making frantic, wild, and different from any of their previous activities together. When they come together, Ron experiences the sexual gratification he seeks, but he then feels barren, wasted, and unworthy. But most of all, he’s afraid. He’s afraid of himself.

The nightmares grow worse. Even the one hour sleep he is able to get at a time is bombarded by the evil abysses in his mind.

“I’ll get you some Dreamless Sleep Potion,” Draco suggests.

“No. I hate that crap.” Ron smiles weakly. “I think the nightmares will lessen up soon.”

“What if it doesn’t?”

“It will,” Ron lies. “It will.”

Ron’s on the sofa, a thick blanket is wrapped around him, and he gazes at a spot on the table. It’s an interesting spot — roundish, with ragged edges, and it’s in the shade of a brownish-red. Its colour reminds Ron of something, but he isn’t sure what.

He continues to study that spot, and that’s when it hits him. The colour. It reminds him of dried up blood. There’s blood on the table. Still clutching onto the blanket with one hand, he leans over and cast a spell on it to make it disappear. It stays unchanged.

He summons a bottle of furniture cleaner and a scrubber. He still holds onto the blanket, and he scrubs the spot as hard as he can.

The spot doesn’t change. It refuses to change.

Just as Ron’s about to throw the scrubber at the wall, he hears Draco’s arrival.

Rising from the sofa, Ron still hangs onto the blanket, and he gestures towards the spot with the scrubber. “That spot. That bloody spot. It won’t go away no matter how much I clean it.”

Ron sees the concerned look on Draco, who at the moment takes his coat off and uncharacteristically throws it onto an armchair along with a bag. Draco walks over to the table and studies the spot. “It’s always been there. When we first moved in here, the place was furnished for us, and that spot has always been there. You didn’t mind it since it reminded you of a freckle.”

“Lies,” Ron whispers. “It wasn’t there before. This . . . it’s a bloodstain! Whose blood is it?!”

“Ron! It’s not a bloodstain!” Draco grabs him, and Ron tries to get out of the mighty grip. “Get a hold of yourself.”

He looks into Draco’s eyes and sees the truth in them. “I-it’s always been there?”

Draco nods and relaxes his hold.

Ron lets out a shaky sigh. “Sorry. I . . . I guess I must have had momentary amnesia.”

“Did you also forget you had a lunch meeting with Ginny and Dean?”

Frowning, Ron tries to remember making arrangement with his sister to meet or not. “I don’t remember. Was I really supposed to meet them?”

“Yes, and they tried calling the phone, but nobody answered.” Draco gives Ron a questioning look. “Did you hear the phone ring?”

“Yes, but it was so ruddy loud and annoying. I unplugged it.”

“I see.” Draco runs a hand through his mussed up hair. “Well, I guess you can meet them some other time. They did meet me briefly, and Ginny asked me to give you some of these new DVDs she bought.”

“Really?” Ron tries to smile. Even though he hasn’t felt like watching anything lately, he’s grateful for his sister sending him new DVDs every so often.

Draco walks over to the armchair to grab the bag, and Ron sits back on the sofa. Feeling Draco’s warmth sagging next to him on the sofa, Ron takes the bag and sorts through the DVDs. He takes out the bunch and studies the covers and reads the back. However, when he comes upon a cover that simply showcases a man holding a gun he freezes.

A flashback. No, a nightmare. No, no! It’s real. It’s happening again. The war has begun, and Ron’s in the middle of it once more.

He’s trapped against a tall wall; he sees about five Muggles who are members of the Special Forces judging by their uniform. They all carry guns, those frightening machine guns, and they are pointed at him. Ron glares at them, but all the men do is smirk. They say to him, “Surrender. Surrender to us, tell us all your magical secrets, and we’ll let you live.”

Ron spits at them. “Never, you sods.”

“Then you leave us with no choice.”

He tenses up, but he tries to find that secret portkey he keeps in his pocket. The portkey that will only activate when he’s in deep trouble like this. However, he can’t reach into his pocket without making it look like he’ll pull out a bomb or something.

Suddenly, a loud explosion goes off, and the men are all thrown off balance, including Ron.

Landing on the hard cement ground, Ron throws the blanket off of him, and he rolls over. He quickly stands up and tries to grab his gun and knife, but they aren’t with him. “Fuck! Wand! Where’s my wand then?” He sees his wand nearby, and he grabs it and points it at one of the men. A man who’s now actually trying to plead with him.

“Put it down, Ron. Put that down!”

Ron? How did this guy know his name? Pointing his wand at the man, he cries, “Stay back!” With his wand still out, he reaches into his pocket for the portkey, but it isn’t there.

“Shite!” He sees that the man was in front of him. The gun isn’t there anymore, so he decides to just stun the man and escape.

But before he can do anything, the man acts first. He hears “Stupefy”, and he falls into blackness.

Ron slowly opens his eyes and turns his head, which feels quite heavy. He tries to sit up, but he realises he has no energy in him to do so. He stares at the ceiling instead. An unnaturally white ceiling.

He hears voices, several voices filled with concern and apprehension. He can barely make out the owners of the voices, but his haze-filled brains prevent him from to fully concentrate. So he listens to the conversation half-heartedly.

” . . . He’s been suffering from nightmares . . . ”

” . . . He’s so withdrawn . . . ”

” . . . And panic-stricken. He freaks out over the littlest things lately . . . ”

” . . . Worried about him . . . ”

” . . . He’ll hurt himself . . . ”

” . . . You say flashbacks are normal, but what about hallucinations . . . ”

Ron has difficulties sorting out the words. To do that is a bother, so he decides to return back to sleep, hoping no nightmares will invade his mind.

The next time Ron wakes up, he sees Draco sitting next to him, who’s holding one of his hands. On his other side, he sees Luna Lovegood with a faraway expression on her face.

Draco squeezes his hand lightly. “Good afternoon, love. Sleep well?”

Ron nods. This time his head doesn’t feel quite funny, and he’s able to sit up. As he leans back into the plush pillow, he sees he’s in a private room. A private hospital room. When he speaks, his voice comes out gruff. “St Mungo’s?”

“Yes.”

He gestures towards Luna. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve been assigned to be your mind healer, Ron,” she answers in her dreamy voice. “How are you feeling?”

When he hears “mind healer”, something akin to anger bubbles deep inside of him as he yanks his hand out of Draco’s. “What’s this? A bloody mind healer? I don’t need a sodding mind healer!”

“Ron–” Draco begins, but Ron doesn’t let him finish.

“Get out. You . . . you think I’m really insane, don’t you? Then leave me!”

Draco jolts back as if he’s been slapped.

Luna chooses to interrupt then. “Draco. Perhaps you should step out for a minute.”

“But–”

“Please,” Luna says in a firm voice.

Draco gives Ron a tense look, and he whispers, “I don’t think you are mad, but you are hurting and I want you to get better. That’s all I want.”

Draco leaves the room like a defeated Quidditch player, and Ron feels guilt and shame at his outburst. He buries his face in his hands and exhales loudly like he’s trying to get rid of all those emotions inside of him.

Luna lets him recover for a few minutes. In a calm voice, she asks, “Will you tell me what you think of all this?”

Ron glances away and stares at the wall that’s so white and sanitised. “I . . . I don’t know. I know I’ve been off lately, but . . . ”

She waits. She doesn’t force him to speak quickly. She allows him to think and talk at his own pace.

“Did . . . did something happen?” he pleads. “I don’t remember coming here. Last I remember was me being caught at a dead end by these Special Forces guys. There was an explosion, and we were all thrown off balance. One of the guys knew my name, and I was going to attack . . . ”

He stops and gives her a horrified look. “Was that Draco I nearly attacked?”

When she nods, he becomes so unnerved that he starts babbling. “I nearly hurt him? I . . . I thought . . . it was a flashback . . . no it was real . . . I can’t believe I nearly . . . ”

A soft, cool hand rests on top of his, and that brings him back to reality. “It’s okay, Ron. It’s okay.”

He swallows before answering, “It’s not okay, Luna. I nearly hurt him. I . . . I might have killed him.”

“Draco’s not that careless or stupid. He’s capable of taking care of himself. You know he does remind me of a peacock. Though I cannot imagine him to be that bright or colourful in appearance.”

He lets out a nervous smile. “As always, your outlandish comments amuse and comfort me. I do admit that I’ve imagined Draco as a peacock at times, too.”

She beams but quickly sobers. “So what do you think? Or should I say, what do you want to do?”

He sighs and tilts his head at the ceiling. “If my . . . problems are going to make me hurt those who I love, then I want to fix it. No. I have to fix it.”

“We’ll do this all together. We’ll all help you. Just keep in mind that it will not be something that can be healed in a day or two. It will be a long road.”

He shuts his eyes hard. Her words are correct, and it proves the facts he’s been dreading. Softly, he says, “Yes. It will be a long and difficult road for . . . all of us.” Grabbing her hand, he clasps it gently. “Will you call Draco in? I want to apologise to him.”

Ron decides to start this battle correctly, and he’ll need Draco to help him.

“Did you take the potions?” Draco asks.

“Can’t you tell? Those potions make me so tired,” Ron snaps.

“And cranky. Must be a horrid side-effect.” Draco sees that Ron isn’t moving. “Come on. Let’s not keep Luna waiting. Last time we were late, she gave me a long lecture on why I should eat raw garlics to get me to move faster! I mean, does she think I’m going to be attracting vampires or what?”

Ron chortles.

“Ah, I’m making progress! You laughed.” Draco squeezes Ron’s hands and kisses it. “Let’s go. I don’t want ‘her loonyness’ to give me another long talk about garlic or anything bizarre!”

“Have you visited you parents’ graves ever since they were buried?”

“No,” Ron admits with shame. “I . . . I can’t seem to return there. It just gives me bad memories.”

Luna gives him a cup of tea and settles on the sofa next to him. Her office is airy and friendly, with flowers and other plants lingering around the room. These plants have been given to her by Neville, who runs a successful nursery. Ron always feels at peace when he’s in here.

Taking a sip of her tea, she nibbles on a digestive biscuit, and she then says, “Try to think of only good memories of them.”

“It’s hard.” He sighs as he attempts to block out the memories of his childhood home being bombed by the Muggles. His parents were victims of the bombing, and what frightens him more is the timing of the bombing. It happened an hour prior to his weekly visit to the Burrow.

“It will take time, but that’s what we need to do. Take small steps here and there.”

He knows that. She has told him to slowly accept the past and try to move away from it to achieve a sense of normalcy he hasn’t had for years. “I’ll . . . I’ll think about it. Maybe I’ll get Gin and my brothers to go in a couple of weeks.”

She gives him an encouraging smile. “That’s a start.” She points at the biscuits. “Here, have some. Harry bought these for me.”

Ron moans and groans, tossing and turning. He’s just returned from a battle. He’s in the hospital ward, and he sees many in pain, and he even sees a guy with both legs damaged from a bomb. He shudders at the missing limbs, and he remembers the smell of injured flesh, the medicines, and the potions. It’s enough to nearly make him want to vomit.

“Ron!” Draco’s loud voice wakes him up. “It’s only a nightmare. Get a hold of yourself.”

His eyes fly open, and he sits up gasping. He automatically leans into Draco’s caring embrace, and he tries to fight back a sob that’s threatening to escape him.

“It’s okay, Ron. It’s okay,” Draco’s voice soothes him, and Ron shudders against the warm torso.

When Ron’s finally calm, he smiles shakily at Draco. “S-sorry.”

“It’s all right.” Draco’s hand smoothes away his fringe, the cool hand a contrast against Ron’s hot forehead. “Do you want to talk about it?”

He doesn’t say anything for a long while. Luna has told him to talk to Draco about these nightmares, and so far Ron has yet to tell Draco any of them. Ron realises that he needs to. He needs to overcome them, and he wants to defeat them, but he still can’t help but think he’ll only burden Draco. “I don’t want to bother you with these.”

“You will not be bothering me with this. You will be helping both of us by telling me. You shouldn’t try to go through this by yourself. I want to help you, but you won’t let me,” Draco bitterly complains. “I’ve been through the same thing as you; I have no problems, so let me help you with yours!”

“I . . . I know.” Ron feels slight resentment at that last hurtful sentence. Draco’s lucky, and Ron can’t help but wonder why Draco’s not suffering in a similar manner. Then again, Draco is affected by all this in a different way. Draco has to watch Ron become like this, and Ron realises that all of this will be rough for anyone — including Draco.

Draco groans. “I don’t mean to sound so selfish. Just . . . I won’t force you. Just tell me when you’re ready.”

“Thanks.” Ron tentatively leans up and softly kisses Draco’s lips. “Thank you. I’ll tell you, but I’m warning you; my nightmares are pretty gruesome.”

“Ron,” he says dryly. “I was your partner in the war. We saw many things together, so please don’t paint me as some ignorant sod who sees things through rose-coloured glasses.”

“Okay.” Ron takes a deep breath and tells Draco the latest nightmare, and when he finishes, he feels as if a huge weight has been lifted off of his soul.

“Hey, mate,” Harry says cheerfully as he enters the flat with a bag. “I’ve bought us fish and chips, some butterbeer, and Exploding Snaps!”

Ron comes out from his cocoon of blankets. He’s been feeling a bit anti-social that day. Draco’s still at work, so Harry must’ve decided to check up on him and to hang out. “Hey.”

Harry sits in the armchair while Ron remains on the sofa. “Are you all right?”

Ron nods. “I . . . it’s just . . . ”

“I know,” Harry says understandingly. “We don’t have to do the games, but I reckon you might want to eat the fish and chips. It’s from your favourite place.”

“Really?” He perks up a bit at that. “Thanks, Harry.”

By the time they finish eating, Ron’s in the mood to play some Exploding Snaps with Harry.

The game goes on forever, and when Draco finally comes home, Ron looks up with a smile. Draco stares with a surprised expression, and he grins back, too.

Harry sees Draco. “Malfoy.”

“Potter. I see you’ve bought fish and chips. Where’s mine?”

“Sorry, but Ron and I both cleaned it up.”

Draco gives Ron a phony hurtful pout. “You didn’t save me any?”

Ron rolls his eyes. “Stop being a git. You can go buy your own.”

“Oh, your words stab me. Remind me not to give you your favourite sweets later on,” Draco grumps out.

“I’ll survive,” Ron jokes, and all of them burst out laughing.

Ron realises that this feels almost normal, and he’s surprised at how he doesn’t flee from it.

“Will you tell me what happened a couple of days ago?” Luna fingers one of her bracelets as she looks at Ron in a serene manner.

He awkwardly avoids looking at her, and he stares at the plush oriental carpet on the floor, studying its intricate designs.

“I . . . Draco and I had arranged with Ginny and Dean on an outing. We were going to go have a picnic . . . Ginny’s great at making food, you know.” He plays with a loose thread at the edge of his shirt.

“Yes?” she prompts.

“But I couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t do it. I locked myself in the bedroom, and I just crawled under the blankets,” he whispers, looking ashamed.

“Was Draco upset?”

He shakes his head. “That surprises me.”

“Why would it surprise you?”

“Because we had planned on this for a while, and at the last minute, I couldn’t do it.”

“Draco is Hermes.”

He blinks at the cryptic words.

She smiles and gives him some chocolate. “I’m just saying he’s like Hermes and those flying shoes. He’ll go with the flow, especially when it comes to you.”

He doesn’t respond, and she says, “You’re bothered by something else.”

It isn’t a question but rather a statement. “Yes. I am. I . . . I thought I was getting better, but then this incident proves otherwise.”

She looks at him with a thoughtful expression. “Do you know Aesop’s Fables?”

“No.”

“It’s a Muggle thing. Aesop is this Ancient Greek slave who has created a lot of fables, which uses animals in a human setting. These tales are supposed to teach young children morals. One of the more famous story is ‘The Tortoise and the Hare’. In that story, the hare mocks the tortoise for being slow, and it comes to a point where they have a race. The hare, of course, dashes off and is far ahead of the tortoise. He’s so cocky, so he decides to take a nap, thinking he’d wake up in time to make it to the finish line. But in the end, the hare sleeps too long, and the tortoise wins the race.”

He’s confused. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Most people say that the moral of this story is that overconfidence gets you nowhere. But I like to think there’s a second moral to the fable.”

“And . . . ?”

“It takes time and perseverance for results to come up. See the tortoise took his time, and he plodded on even though he knew he had a handicap.”

She reaches out and pats his hand. “So you see, the same thing will happen to you, too.”

For the first time in months, Ron finds himself at a nice restaurant. He’s there with Draco, the two of them doubling up with Harry and Luna. It’s a quiet restaurant, and it has plenty of space, which gives Ron some comfort since it isn’t small, packed, and loud with other people.

Still, he feels a slight sense of dread when the waiter comes to take their orders. Yet by the time their main course has arrived, Ron doesn’t want to bolt anymore. Instead, he enjoys his meal, the quiet conversations, and the good vintage wine.

Ron gives smiles hesitantly at Draco. Under the table, Draco’s hand rests on his thigh, and Ron covers the hand with his. “This is a great place, Draco.”

“Of course. We Malfoys are known for our good tastes.”

“In what?” Harry asks wryly. “In hair care products?”

Draco scowls at Harry, and Ron sniggers. “Good one, mate.”

“So you’re on his side?” Draco pouts at Ron. “Don’t tell me I have to compete with Scarhead here.”

“Oh, that’s a lovely name for Harry, Draco,” Luna pipes up, giving Ron a conspiratorial wink.

“Luna . . . ” Harry pretends to look offended, and it is Draco’s turn to laugh. They start to banter with each other, and Ron and Luna just roll their eyes.

In a loud voice, Luna announces, “I have a plan I’d like to suggest to Ron and Draco.”

That silences the arguing pair, and all the men look at her curiously.

“Ron, you’ve come a long way, and you’re improving at a good pace. Why don’t you and Draco take a trip somewhere for a couple of weeks? It will do you both some good. Granted, I do want Ron to achieve that feeling of normalcy, and I think taking trips here and there can be considered ‘normal’.”

Ron and Draco speak with their eyes. Before one of them can answer, Luna says, “Oh, you don’t have to decide now. Remember the tortoise, Ron.”

Draco and Harry both give Luna a “what on earth are you talking about” looks, and they both shrug in unison. That amuses Ron since, in some ways, Harry and Draco have similar mannerisms.

She beams. “Who’s ready for dessert?”

In the end, they decide to go on a trip. They choose to visit Hermione and her family in New Zealand.

At the Portkey Station, they meet Hermione, and she nearly assaults Ron with a warm hug.

“Ron!” She joyfully greets him. “Oh, you look great!”

He returns the hug. “You look way better than I do.” He steps back to admire her, and she did indeed look happy and healthy, her cheeks were fuller and redder, and her hair has been tamed into a slightly-less bushy ponytail. She’s dressed conservatively in her blouse and skirt. She turns to Draco and extends out a hand.

Draco shakes it. “Hello, Granger — I mean . . . ”

“Call me Hermione,” she interrupts.

“All right. Good to see you, Hermione. Let me thank you on both our behalf for your invitation and hospitality.”

She waves a hand. “Not a problem. I’ve been telling Ron to visit me for years, and I’m glad he came with you.”

As Draco and Hermione talk, they all walk outside. As Ron looks around the surrounding, he notices that the air in Wellington feels different compared to England, and the new senses that bombard him don’t make him feel jumpy like he’s expected. Instead, it soothes him.

Of course, the warmer climate might have had something to do with it. After all, it is winter back on the Isle, and here it’s summer.

“Ron?” Hermione’s voice brings him back to reality. “Ready? The girls and Tony cannot wait to meet you and Draco.”

He nods. “All right.”

The days pass by, and Ron’s surprised by how much fun he’s having. Yes, he does have days where he wants to lock himself up and be alone, but he discovers that Hermione’s twin daughters, Josephine and Anne, unwittingly pull him out of that slump, and he realises he actually enjoys being around children.

“Uncle Ron! Toss me on the bed! Like a cannonball!”

“Uncle Ron, come play house with us! You can be the daddy and Uncle Draco can be the mummy!”

“Uncle Ron! Come jump on the trampoline with us!”

At their every request, Ron sees their large blue eyes, and he cannot resist them.

Draco enjoys their company, too, and he even plays house with them. Though he does snark on why he has to be the mother.

Ron only grins and says, “Aw, come on. You make the perfect mother-figure.”

Draco glares at him. “If you dare compare me to that Angelina woman again, I will permanently spell a cock ring on you.”

Thankfully, they are in the guest room when he says that, away from certain twin’s ears and Hermione’s “prudish” nature.”

Ron lifts an eyebrow. “If you do that, I will castrate you.”

“I dare you to try.” Draco’s scowl softens. “I miss our bickering, you know?”

Swallowing an unexpected lump in his throat, Ron softly agrees, “Me too.”

Ron pulls Draco into a hug, and he kisses Draco’s pouty lips. He nips and sucks until they are swollen, and Draco lets out a groan of pleasure.

Guiding them onto the bed, Ron climbs on top and covers Draco’s slim and lithe body with his own body that’s more muscular and bulkier than Draco’s. As his hands and mouth wanders, he feels his own arousal stirring inside of him.

They barely remember to cast a silencing charm as they, for the first time in months, make love to one another. It’s poignant and fulfilling, unlike the last time he has done it with Draco, where he recalls feeling unworthy and empty. This time he feels grateful and lucky to have a man like Draco to help him through the abyss of hell. This time, when he comes with Draco, he allows himself to cry out in bliss.

When they cuddle next to each other, Ron feels sleepy. Before he sleeps, though, he whispers, “I remember where I put my gun and knife.”

“Where?”

“I buried them in the Forbidden Forest. When the Magi-Muggle Peace Accords happened, I buried them somewhere. I just wanted to forget.”

“Are you going to retrieve them?”

Ron kisses him, and as he feels his eyes closing, he says. “No. They can stay there. I just hope I’ll never need them again.”

“Me, too.”

Like their love making, for the first time in ages, Ron looks forward to sleeping, and he knows he won’t suffer from nightmares that night.

“Checkmate,” Ron says, moving his piece to claim victory.

Tony beams at him. “That, my friend, was the best and the most intense chess game I’ve ever had the privilege of playing against anyone.”

“You’re telling me,” Draco announces in a bored voice, yet his eyes twinkle with amusement. “That’s the longest chess game I’ve ever watched. Even the girls went to sleep, and Hermione had to put them to bed.”

“Oh,” Ron rubs his head sheepishly. “Well, Tony here is an excellent chess player. He’s–”

“Wait, wait. Don’t say it. Better than me right?”

“You said it. Not me.”

Draco rolls his eyes as Tony laughs.

Hermione comes into the room and exclaims, “They are finally done!” She sits on the armrest of her husband’s chair. While she rests her hands on his shoulders, she looks at Ron and Draco.

“Tomorrow is your last day here with us. What do you two want to do on your final day?”

Ron and Draco looks at each other. They both exchange grins as Hermione’s eyes narrow. “I know that look, Ronald Weasley. You will not plan anything that deals with George and his pranks!”

“Who me?” Ron asks innocently. “Never.”

“Mmm,” she doesn’t believe him.

“Okay, fine, we are going to give the girls some of his pranks items as gifts, but we also want to treat you all to a nice outing at the local wizarding amusement park and then a nice dinner at a ritzy place.”

Hermione smiles softly. “Oh, you don’t need to . . . ”

“We want to,” Ron says. “You’ve been great towards us.” He gives her a pleading yet a playful look, one he knows that always gets to her.

She concedes. “All right, you two. Thank you so much.”

Ron and Draco return to England, and they more or less go back to their routines. Draco still works as the head liaison officer, and Ron still writes for The Quibbler; although he also works as a part-time football coach at Hogwarts now, a sport he has grown to like despite his initial favour for Quidditch, which he still likes. Football has become as popular as Quidditch at Hogwarts, mostly due to the Muggle-borns’ influences, and Ron volunteers his time there, enjoying his interactions with the young youths.

At first, Ron’s hesitant to take the position, but through Draco, his friends, and his family’s support, he decides to try it. Luckily, he has grown to love it.

Now his life feels a bit more secure. Along with his jobs, he still sees Luna on a weekly basis, and he still takes those potions. Though the nightmares still hit him, they aren’t as serious or concurrent as before.

He knows that it will take a while for him to be fully healed and “normal”. However, he also knows that, like the tortoise, he will press on and never give up. As long as Draco’s with him, and he has his friends and family, that’s all he needs to move on with his life.

Ron Weasley has survived more wars than he’s ever imagined himself to be in.

He has survived Voldemort and the Death Eaters, he has survived the Muggles, and he has survived himself.

Of all the battles he’s been through, battling himself has been proven to be the most difficult and challenging. Yet he has miraculously survived it.

No cheering’s been done when the war has ended with the Magi-Muggle Peace Accords.

But now, with the battle truly over, Ron finally feels like cheering. They finally have peace.

Ending Notes

-The fic’s title comes from a line in “Anthem for Doomed Youth” by Wilfred Owen. (http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/owen2.html)

October 2024

“Are you sure about taking this mission, Teddy?”

Teddy Lupin looked up at the man who had helped raised him. Harry Potter, the saviour of the wizarding world, the man who worked as the head of the Auror Department, the man who was his surrogate father, godfather even, and — just as equally important — his boss.

“Yes, I’m sure. I volunteered because I want to do this.”

“It’s not going to be easy.”

Teddy’s smile lit up the sparks in his natural hazel eyes. “Anybody designated to protect Draco Malfoy will automatically know that it won’t be a simple task. However, I’m more than prepared for it.”

Not really, but I can’t let Harry know my doubts right now, he thought to himself. “Yes, Draco Malfoy will probably be a bit of a curmudgeon — our family reunions are enough to draw back on that fact — but he’s still family. Plus, I wouldn’t mind travelling and living in a foreign country, an Asian one at that.”

“Well, yes, but it’s not everyday somebody like Draco Malfoy receives threats and is almost bludgeoned to death by a car. I can understand if it happened here, in England, but in South Korea of all places?” Harry shook his head at the idea of it. “I suppose the Malfoy name is more widespread than I thought.”

“Not more than yours,” Teddy teased with a grin. “Your fame apparently has travelled outside of England, to all the international magical communities in the world.”

Groaning, Harry said, “Yes. Why do you think I don’t travel much? And if I do, I make sure I’m in a place surrounded by Muggles rather than wizards!” Teddy watched as his godfather pushed his spectacles up from where they had slipped down. His green eyes turned a bit dark as he stared contemplatively at Teddy.

“Are you taking an overseas assignment because of Victoire?”

Teddy stiffened at the question as he avoided looking at Harry. Instead, his gaze travelled across the Head Auror’s office, the same office he had been coming into to talk to Harry in the past seven years since he started his Auror training. “Perhaps . . .”

“Let me ask you a simple question — do you love her?”

“You know that’s not a simple question at all,” Teddy said, looking back up at Harry. He let out a soft sigh. “I do love her, I know I do, but something’s telling me that she’s not the one. Maybe my instincts are misguided, but at the same time I trust them.” Actually, it was more like he could smell that Victoire wasn’t the right one. The werewolf side of him screamed that information, especially around full moon. This heightened sense of smell was one thing he had inherited from his late father. He could not only smell flavours, he could also smell people’s emotion and their aura. As an Auror, this skill allowed him to be a good judge of character and people.

Harry reached out to pat Teddy’s broad shoulder. “I just want you to know. Whatever you choose to do in life, I will support you, and so will Andromeda and the rest of the family.”

Teddy was glad that Harry was there to support him. After all, even though Harry and Ginny had separated amicably several years ago, the Weasley family still supported him. Teddy knew that he still had the family’s support, but when Teddy suggested that he and Victoire take time off from one another, Victoire had taken the suggestion very emotionally. It wouldn’t have been fair to Victoire if he’d chosen to stay together without any feelings of love towards her. Luckily, Bill and Fleur didn’t hold anything against him for his actions, but he still felt guilty.

This had happened several months ago, and Teddy needed to get away from here, needed a change of scenery, and needed to clear his mind and soul of this mess he’d inadvertently gotten into. However, he honestly wanted to go visit the country, experience the culture and food, and he didn’t want this opportunity to escape him. “I’m glad you trust me to do this assignment. Thanks, Harry.”

Harry nodded. “Now, let’s go over the briefing once more before I send you off.”

Teddy knew that Asians, in general, had an entirely different fashion sense from the west. He had seen enough pictures and other media in the Muggle world to come to that conclusion. However, seeing it on digital media and then seeing it face to face was an entirely different story.

He watched a feminine looking man run in his direction. The man in question, a very skinny man at that, had on a pair of tight black jeans, an equally tight pink long-sleeved shirt, and a pair of black flip-flops. The outfit, minus the pink shirt, wouldn’t have been too odd except that it just looked very out of place on a scarecrow like him.

After Teddy studied the man’s outfit, he tried to look at the man’s eyes, but they were covered by a common-looking pair of sunglasses. Instead, his eyes travelled to the man’s hair. His hair was long and shaggy, dyed in a horrible shade of orange with what looked like magenta highlights, and pulled back in a loose and messy ponytail. Teddy’s eyes saw a glint and it took him a moment to realise it came from the man’s multiple piercings on both ears.

As the man got closer to Teddy, he asked in an out of breath voice, “Are you Teddy Lupin?” The man’s perfect English, with no hint of an accent, broke through Teddy’s thoughts.

“Ah, er, yes, and you’re . . . ?”

The man bowed deeply. “I’m Lee, Yi, or Ee — pick your choice — Sung Hoon, otherwise known as Max.” Max removed his sunglasses to reveal his violet eyes. “I am Draco Malfoy’s real estate agent and a translator for the Ministry of Magical Seoul, otherwise known as MOMS.”

Teddy decided that he didn’t want to know why the South Korean Ministry had someone like this guy as the translator for MOMS, much less a real estate agent. However, he sniffed subtlety at Max’s scent, and he relaxed as he found that Max exuded a friendly and an apologetic aura.

“I’m sorry I’m an hour late. See, I was stuck in the horrible Seoul traffic, and since I was in a cab, I couldn’t Apparate. How was your international Portkey travel?”

“It was tiring, but I’m well aware that I have to go to Mr. Malfoy’s place by Portkey.”

Max nodded as he dug through his pocket for his cell phone. “Yes. He’s expecting us — or was. He hates to be kept waiting. We’re late, but it’s my fault! I’ll explain to him.” He raised an eyebrow. “Mr. Malfoy? I thought you two were related.”

Before Teddy could answer, Max just waved a hand. “Never mind! Let’s go to his place in Gwangju down in Jeollanam Province. Be glad that this is going to be a quick trip. Going by car or bus would take four hours at least.”

Before Teddy could ask why Draco was there instead of in Seoul, he felt Max’s hand on his. In between their palms, something cool pressed into their skins.

“Starbucks!” Max said the code word to activate the Portkey.

Teddy felt the familiar tug in his stomach as he fell through the vortex of darkness.

Coming to reality, Teddy’s body jerked at the landing. He let his mind clear from the sensations, and when he came to, he realised he and Max were still holding hands. Nonchalantly as possible, he let Max’s hand go and was about to put his hand in his pocket when he saw that their Portkey was still in his hand. He saw that it was a coin. A coin that had the number one on it. “A one won coin? I thought these don’t exist anymore.”

“They aren’t used here in the present, but I use it as a personal portkey. It’s my lucky coin, so I use it as my personal Portkey when I’m by myself or only with one other person.”

Teddy nodded and gave the coin back to its owner. Just as he was going to comment on how amazing it was that Max hadn’t lost the coin yet, the view — or rather the gate — in front made him stop and stare. “Wow.”

“Yes, pretty impressive, right? These are what we call hanok-style buildings.”

“Impressive? This is beyond fantastic and brilliant!” Teddy allowed his eyes to take in the view. He had imagined Draco to be living in some western-style mansion. Instead, a very eastern-style “mansion” greeted him. The gate, white and brown with stone pillars decorating the front, had windows running from one end to the other. In the middle, though, there was a door, a heavy wooden door. From the top of the gate, he could see rooftops of the houses in there. Not a single house, but houses.

“How many buildings are behind these walls?”

“About six. However, he lives in the biggest one. Although I’m still not sure why a single man like him decided to get this huge place just for himself.”

Teddy let out a chuckle. “He’s a Malfoy. Malfoys like to be rich and pretentious.”

Teddy watched the perplexed expression on Max’s face, who looked as if he was going to question the logic behind that response before he decided it probably wasn’t worth the trouble. “Let’s go.” Max headed to the wooden door and pushed a button on the side. Teddy stood behind him, mused on how orange and magenta could be a combination, and listened to Beethoven’s “Fur Elise” doorbell — which sounded as if a cat was being strangled.

A minute or two passed, and Teddy heard Max mumble, “Well that’s unusual. I wonder why he’s not letting us in. It’s a good thing I have a key.” Max dug out a key from his bag and unlocked the gate. “I hope nothing happened . . . ”

Teddy’s Auror instincts took over him. As soon as the door unlocked, he rushed past Max and ran straight for the biggest house he saw. He stepped onto the wooden patio attached to the house and quickly opened the sliding door.

“Mr. Mal — Malf — Dra — Draco!” He entered the house and stared at the western looking room that greeted him. Just before Teddy could look around some more, Draco came around the corner from another room. All thoughts about the contrasting décor of east and west left his brain as he stared at Draco. A Draco who had brandished his wand at him. A Draco who was dripping wet, naked, and pissed off.

Teddy couldn’t help it. His eyes developed a mind of their own as they gazed all over Draco’s hardened body. He looked at the broad shoulders and arms, where they had enough muscle on them to indicate strength, but not overly huge like a body builder. His gaze moved downward as he briefly noticed the slim waist and the legs that were a bit more muscular than the arms. As he continued looking, two major details struck him. First, he could see pale scars — lines that criss-crossed in small patches all over Draco’s body. Secondly, he could see the thin trail of hair starting from Draco’s navel. The blond hairs were pale, but on the slightly flushed skin from the hot water, he could see the contrast. In fact, Teddy could see that almost everything about Draco was pale: his skin, hair, and scars. Despite that, though, the scars struck out, and so did the inviting trail.

In contrast, though, there were three things that weren’t pale on Draco. One was his flaccid penis, which was slightly darker in colour than the rest of his body, the second was the faded Dark Mark, and the third was Draco’s face. More accurately, his cheeks. Teddy could see that the man was blushing from embarrassment and anger.

He almost flinched at the accusatory and clipped tone Draco used. “How dare you two not alert me of your presence by using the simple Muggle invention of a doorbell? That’s the least you could do, if you aren’t going to be punctual!”

“Sorry about being late. I got stuck in traffic — and yes I know I could have Apparated, but I wanted to ride a cab today. Didn’t think the traffic would be awful. Oh and we rang the doorbell.” Max had come up to Draco with a smile. He threw Draco a towel. A small towel that was only big enough to wrap around his waist. He gave Teddy a grin. “These are your traditionally small Korean towels.”

Draco quickly wrapped the towel around him and said, “Don’t change the fucking subject, Max. I didn’t hear the doorbell, which means you didn’t ring it.”

“We did.”

“Rubbish! I would have heard the doorbell! That tune screeches through the entire house! Plus, the natural wards around this place would have alerted me if someone was coming, but that didn’t work . . .” Teddy watched Draco’s face clouded in anger. Before he could ask about these “natural wards”, Draco did the impossible thing where he yelled without actually raising his voice.

“Mung Chung! Show yourself!”

Right in front of Teddy appeared someone — or something? — roughly the size of a five-year old child. Teddy, still in his Auror-mode, was just about to cast a spell when his wand flew out of his hand and landed across the room from him. He let out a surprised yell as he took several steps backward, away from the thing in front of him.

“Wha–? Who or what are you?” After Teddy had a closer look at the small figure, he came to the conclusion that this thing was definitely not a human. He tried to sniff the thing out, but he was extremely surprised to find that not a single scent came from it. He studied the odd thing. He saw that there was a brown horn, rather wide instead of thin like that of a unicorn’s, on the top of the head, where it was covered in green hair, all spiked up. The thing’s skin was pale, and it wore a leopard-printed pair of shorts as its only piece of clothing. Lastly, Teddy eyed the bumpy club in the thing’s hand, and he could sense some kind of magic from the club.

A few more seconds passed as Teddy continued to stare at what he decided was something directly out of the last century: a punk rock caveman thing wannabe. His train of thought was interrupted by Draco, though.

“Did you disable the wards around this place and my doorbell?” Teddy could hear and smell the anger surrounding the words, but he also could smell something else from Draco: resignation and a bit of exasperation mixed with humour. Then there was something even more subtle. Something unfamiliar and familiar at the same time. Teddy pushed the thought aside as he stared back at the weird thing.

The thing, Mung Chung, gave Draco a cheeky smile. “No. It must have been my twin. I was sleeping the entire time.”

Teddy watched Draco and Max share knowing expressions. “Thank Merlin you’re not a twin. Otherwise my life would be more of a hell than it already is. Now why don’t you just admit to doing this trickery before I decide to get a dokkaebi exorcist and have them exorcise you when you’re in your kimchi-pot mode.”

Before Mung Chung could answer, Teddy looked at Draco and Max. “What’s going on? What is this thing — a dokkaebi, was it? — and what does a kimchi-pot have to do with anything?”

Draco and Max looked up at Teddy in surprise, the former more with more disdain. “You know what a kimchi-pot is, but you don’t know what a dokkaebi is? How’s it possible you know of the Muggle terminology here rather than the magical one? And you call yourself a wizard?”

Teddy ignored the insults from Draco as he decided to talk to Max. “Sorry, Max, forgive my ignorance. I didn’t exactly have enough time to review the magical world of South Korea in enough detail to familiarise myself with this terminology. I know about kimchi and kimchi-pot because they are a staple of Korean culture in the Muggle and wizarding sense.”

“Ah, that’s understandable. To answer your question, dokkaebi is believed to be a mythological figure — kind of like a goblin — with special magical power within their clubs, the clubs being called ‘bangmangee’. They exist as pranksters who reward good people and punish the bad people.” Teddy listened to the explanation. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Mung Chung take a bow at him.

“However, one little warning about getting rewards from a dokkaebi. For an example, if they reward you with something like money, it will be stolen from somewhere nearby, from another household perhaps. As for the whole kimchi-pot situation, each dokkaebi has a standby-mode where they transform into everyday objects. He just happens to transform into a kimchi-pot.

“It may seem like a weird thing to have a dokkaebi in the house, but sometimes, like in Mung Chung’s case, a dokkaebi will be attached to a particular location. Mung Chung is attached to this house, and because of that, this entire place has a natural ward against any dangerous foe who might want to break into it.”

Teddy nodded as he processed the new information. “So you’re telling me that Mung Chung’s very useful to have, but his mentality and appearance matches that of a mischievous five-year old?”

Right then, Teddy felt something wet and smelly hit his face. “Oh bloody hell, what is this?!” He peeled the object off of his face, and he realised that it was someone’s wet, stinky socks. “Ugh! Disgusting!”

Max started laughing out loud. “I also forgot to say one last thing. A dokkaebi is very sensitive, prideful, and does not take insult well. So do be careful and do not insult Mung Chung here. By the way, his real name is Chung Mung, but Draco decided to westernise the name order by putting the surname last. In essence, by putting his name in a western order, his name literally means ‘stupid idiot’.”

Teddy recalled a word that floated in his head. The first Korean word he learned from couple of his Korean acquaintances back home. “So it’s similar to ‘babo’?”

“That’s right! Mung Chung is a big babo!” Just then a broom came out of nowhere, which literally smacked Max’s butt.

“Ouch! Ow! That hurts, you babo!” Teddy watched the broom’s continual hitting spree, and soon it was leading Max out the door.

“Ack! Stop! I apologise! Ouch! Fuck it! I’ll just leave and come back soon or call me up when you come up to Seoul! Bye!”

Max disappeared off of Draco’s property and so did Mung Chung. Teddy, surprised by the random turn of events, turned towards Draco. A Draco who was still naked except for the small towel covering his private areas. “Um, er.”

Draco’s glare stopped him from continuing. “I’m going to finish up my bath. After this hell happened, I’ll need to unwind again.” Draco pointed towards the side. “That’s the sitting room. Just wait there and don’t touch anything until I come back.”

Teddy sighed as Draco stomped off in the opposite direction while holding onto the small towel. Teddy turned and started to head into the sitting room, but there was a pop and a high-pitched voice asked, “Does Master Teddy wishes to have something to eat or drink? Shinny will help you, sir! I come back from food shopping. Shinny’s sorry that you and Master Draco had to deal with that no good ‘bi-bi’.”

“Ah, thank you, Shinny. I am not hungry, but could I have a cup of tea?”

Shinny nodded her head enthusiastically. Teddy saw the neatly tied blue-coloured bow in Shinny’s hair, which matched her simple blue dress. “Yes, sir! I bring it to you in the sitting room!” Shinny disappeared and that was when Teddy saw that Aunt Hermione’s SPEW campaign really made a difference if a house-elf under someone like Malfoy was given equal rights. Smiling, he picked his wand up and headed into the sitting room to wait for the master of the house.

Two cups of tea and several biscuits later, Draco finally showed up in the sitting room, dressed neatly in a pair of black trousers and an equally black velvet robe. Teddy could see the white-collared shirt under the robe, and he couldn’t help but be amused at how Draco preferred to be dressed formally, even when he was in his own home.

He watched Draco take a seat in an expensive armchair and wave a hand. The fire came to life in the fireplace. While Teddy questioned why there was a fireplace here instead of the “ondol” floor heating Koreans were famous for, Teddy was glad of the warmth being given to him in a familiar fashion — the evening had turned quite chilly.

After the fire was lit, Shinny popped into the room. She had a tray with her, and on the tray was an expensive bottle of brandy and two tumblers. The tray was set on the table between the armchair and the couch Teddy sat upon. Shinny looked at her master. “Anything else, Master Draco?”

“That is all for now, Shinny. Thank you.” After Shinny took her leave, Draco took the bottle of brandy and poured some into the tumblers. He took one tumbler. Teddy took the other.

The two sipped their drinks quietly for a few minutes. It was Draco who broke the silence. “First of all, I will not tolerate your hair. I think it’s better to be incognito about all this, and you having green and blue streaks in your light-brown hair will not help. It’s bad enough Max has that horrible colour-scheme, but I refuse to have you tag along with me looking like some misplaced punk rocker.”

Teddy’s hands automatically went to his shaggy hair that framed lightly around his face, where its length ended right in the middle of his neck. With his metamorphmagus ability, he liked to experiment with his appearance. However, after going through his teenage years where he changed appearance practically every hour, he decided that he needed to tone down his transformations. Now, he only did it when he needed to do his job, but once in a while, he would change his hazel eyes into a different colour and play around with his natural, shaggy light-brown hair. His current style right now was actually tame to some of the other stuff he had tried.

Teddy opened his mouth to retort, but Draco beat him. “Also, I am far too old to have a baby-sitter. It was not my idea to have you here, and frankly, I am not happy about it.”

“Look–”

“Therefore, I already have a plan in mind. Luckily, I have a long weekend. I’ll let you know the details about what I suspect. We’ll go by my plans and my terms until this conflict — or lack there of — is solved. That’s all that’s needed to be said.” Draco drank some more, and he made a dismissing gesture at Teddy.

Instead of leaving, Teddy set his tumbler down on the table. He leaned towards Draco. “I have a few things to say as well. First, my hair is my business, not yours. I respect you wanting us to take the subtle route, especially when we have to be out in the public, but when I am out of public eyes, I will do whatever I wish to my appearance.”

Teddy saw the frown on Draco’s forehead, but when Draco didn’t say anything, Teddy continued his speech. “I’ll go with any plans you have. After all, you’re more familiar with this country’s locales and its cultures and traditions. You’ve been studying Korea for five years now, and I know you’re dedicated to your studies instead of skimping on them. However, I request that you tell me of the plans, and we’ll execute them after we both come to a mutual agreement on them.”

He paused as he studied the frown on Draco’s face, the frown that hadn’t changed since its appearance. “Also, I am not a baby-sitter, either. However, to prevent any casualties, I will do what I have to do. And, yes, it could have been coincidence, where a random horrible driver lost control of their brakes and barely managed to miss you. However, the fact that they threw out a message, tied to a rock that was aimed straight for your head and luckily missed, that explicitly targeted you and told you that you needed to die is enough to warrant a protection issue for you.

“Believe me. I’m sure the easiest route is to let you be banged up by a car in this country, but I don’t fancy that idea and neither does Harry.”

Teddy gave Draco an amicable smile as he stood up and held out a hand. “But I will say that I want to get to the bottom of this, and the quickest route for that to happen is for you and me to cooperate with one another. Do we have a deal?”

Draco let out a growl. “Fine. I guess I will always be indebted to the Potters or to the godchildren of the Potters. But if it means getting rid of you in the fastest mean possible, then let’s do it. Just don’t expect this to be pleasant.”

“Let’s shake on it.”

A paler and smaller hand grasped his darker and larger one. Teddy gave a firm shake before letting go, but not without feeling something passing between them. Teddy sniffed the sudden energy between them, but he couldn’t decipher it. There was that scent from Draco again, a sweet, spicy sort of scent that had a secret of its own. Teddy sniffed, and the scent was there, trying to tell him something, but Teddy couldn’t fathom its meaning. That unnerved him, so he quickly loosened his hold on Draco. He gauged Draco’s reaction, irked that Draco was unfazed by whatever that experience was.

“I’m sure you’re tired from the international Portkey travelling. Shinny will show you to your rooms. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Good night . . . ”

“Just call me Draco. Any of those formal names you’ve called me in the past is unnecessary.”

“Well, then. Thank you for your hospitality. Good night, Draco.” Teddy gave a nod of acknowledgement. Shinny popped up then and led the way to one of Draco’s many guest rooms.

When Teddy walked into one of the rooms, he was surprised to see that there was a bed in the room. He honestly expected to sleep on the floor in full Korean traditional way. He walked in and saw a queen-size bed covered with a colourful mink blanket that had the Korean tiger design on it. Along with the blanket, there were two hard and lumpy looking pillows that Teddy couldn’t help but think that they had to be made out of rocks.

Teddy, yet again, just shook his head at the contradicting décor of the place. Deciding that he needed a nice hot shower, he went into his personal bath, where everything was as modern and western as it could get. When he was done, dried up, and only in a pair of pyjama bottoms, he went to lie on the bed.

Just as he expected, the bed was really soft and easy on his back, and the mink blanket was warm and comfortable. Unfortunately, the pillows were quite unpleasant. Yes, they were hard, yes they were lumpy, but they weren’t filled with rocks. Instead, it felt like beans or something. Teddy decided he didn’t want to know what exactly filled up the pillows.

“Shinny?” Teddy wasn’t sure if calling her would summon her, but he decided to try.

Right after he said the name, Shinny appeared quicker than the speed of light, almost startling Teddy. “Yes, Master Teddy?”

“Hey, you don’t need to call me ‘master’.”

“Okay, Master Teddy.”

“Er,” Teddy decided that it would be futile to argue with a house elf. “Is there a softer kind of pillow around here by any chance?”

“Master Teddy no like these Korean pillows? Then how about cotton pillows?”

“Please, that would be great.”

“Shinny will do as you wish!” And she did. She took the two rock-or-bean-filled pillows and came back with two normal cotton pillows.

After thanking her, Teddy lay back and sighed in happiness as his head met the soft pillows. Finally comfortable and exhausted from his travels, he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

One thing Teddy never liked to do was wake up for a new day. He hated it, making alarm clocks his worse enemies at times. However, he was just about to experience the rudest alarm clock in his entire life.

Crash! Bang! Crash! Crash! Bang! Bang! Bang! Ding! Ding! Dong! Dong!

Teddy flailed awake, thinking he was being attacked. He threw the warm blanket off of him and rushed to the window that was opened wide. He had his wand out and surveyed the view. He then noticed that Draco’s house was on a hill. He blinked at the sight that greeted him at the bottom of the hill.

“What in the bloody hell is that?!” He looked at the marching troupe of men and women, dressed in some strange outfits that were blue, red, yellow, black, and white. He saw odd looking hats on the group of twenty people. Half of them were carrying some kind of drumming instruments. One-quarter of them were dancing. The remaining men and women had smaller instruments and were singing some kind of folk song.

Teddy watched this group march around the bottom of the hill, and now that he knew what had woken him up, he felt the adrenaline rush leaving him. He sagged to the floor and wished he could go back to sleep. Instead, though, he had to go get ready. He stood up and looked out the window once more. The marching troupe finally stopped circling the hill and was now headed towards the village. In fact, that’s all Teddy saw around outside. All he saw were houses and rice paddies. Rice paddies could be seen miles and miles away. Along with the many rice paddies, in the far distance, he could see the faint outline of some mountains.

“Rice paddies. They are everywhere here. I guess it’s the Korean’s equivalent of the English moors.” Teddy yawned and headed into the bathroom where he took his customary morning cold shower — he needed one to fully wake up.

While he showered, he remembered that indecipherable energy between Draco and him. He pondered on why he couldn’t gauge that strange aura between them. Even that scent, the one that was trying to tell him something, bothered him. As a matter of fact, this was the first time his keen sense of smell had ever failed him. Until now, he had been able to analyse any given situation by sniffing the people he needed to associate with, but with Draco, he couldn’t figure it out.

It was seriously frustrating him. He exhaled loudly as he rested his forehead on the cool tiles. The cold water ran over his entire body as he stayed like that for a couple more minutes before he decided to forget about his problem for now. He had other stuff to worry about.

Teddy walked into the dining room where Draco already was dressed in his usual formal attire, sipping some tea while he read the paper. Teddy took a seat across from Draco. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” Draco said, putting the paper down. “Did you enjoy the wake up call?”

Teddy gave him a wary look. “Exactly what was that?”

“Pungmul. That whole troupe is called that, and they usually perform for farming reasons, rural holidays, Shamanistic purposes, and for the village to enjoy. Today just happens to be one of the many minor rural holidays. Hence the pungmul performance this morning.”

“I see.”

“Although–” Draco smirked at Teddy. “–I’m sure the sounds were louder for you because your windows were opened. I could barely hear them myself.”

Teddy studied that smirk. That sneaky, conniving smirk that hid something. “Did you have anything to do with my windows being opened?”

“Oh, no. It wasn’t me at all.”

“Then who? I can’t imagine Shinny doing that.”

Draco rolled his eyes. “Oh, for the love of Merlin. You’ve been around that Weasley joker for years! Think about it!”

“Oh.” Teddy had completely forgotten about that live-in prankster. “Mung Chung.”

“Yes. Who probably also somehow enhanced the pungmul’s volume level to its maximum and directed it straight to your room.” He shook his head. “You win the prize for being absolutely dense first thing in the morning. Congratulations.”

Just as sarcastically, Teddy retorted, “Thank you. Is my prize the food in front of me? I shall eat then.”

For the next ten minutes, the two of them just ate and drank their tea in silence. Their solace was interrupted, though, by the screeching “Fur Elise” doorbell.

Teddy heard Draco mutter, “At least that Mung Chung didn’t disable it this time.”

Shinny appeared and announced, “Master Draco, the landlady’s here. Shall Shinny let her in?”

“Yes, go ahead.” Draco quickly turned to Teddy. “Change your hair colour. Look normal.”

“I’m a step ahead of you.” Teddy got rid of the blue and green streaks in his hair to make himself look “normal”. He nodded at Draco and gave him a cheeky grin. “Satisfied?”

“Yes.” At that moment, an old lady came in. She was hunched over, and she walked with a cane in one hand and a small kimchi pot wrapped in a cloth with the handle tied in knots with the other. She was dressed in a traditional Korean outfit — hanbok, was it? Teddy was sure that was the term. Draco helped her sit down, and she and Draco started to speak to each other in Korean. Teddy discreetly cast a translation spell, so he could follow along.

“Delay-co my boy! Don’t offer me anything. I only came by for a minute. My family and I made some kimchi, and I know you like fresh kimchi, so I bought you some.”

“Oh, Halmeoni, you shouldn’t have. You should have called me over and asked me to pick that up instead of you walking up here carrying something so heavy.”

“Pshhhh! Do not underestimate me, Delay-co. I may be old, but I have enough energy to make a trip up to my old family home to give my tenant some of his favourite food!” She whacked him in the back with her cane and laughed.

Draco chuckled as well, after he recovered from the impact. “Well, I appreciate it, Halmeoni. Thank you. I’ll be sure to enjoy them.”

“All right. Here you go.” She handed him the kimchi pot. “Remember to put it in the kimchi refrigerator to keep it fresh longer!”

“I will. Thank you again.” Draco set the kimchi pot on the table.

“By the way, who is this young man? Quite a handsome fellow there.”

Teddy could feel Halmeoni’s eyes on him, and he gave her a smile. While the translation spell he was using would translate what others said to him, it would not translate what he said to the other party. Instead, he tried to remember the few Korean phrases he had been taught in the last couple of years. In his broken and limited Korean he said, “Hello. I’m Teddy Lupin. Please to meet your acquaintance.”

Draco took over from there. “He’s a family member visiting here because he wanted to get some first hand experience of the Korean life and culture.”

“Ah. I see. So he’s visiting from England, yes? Delay-co’s lucky to have someone young and handsome here!” She turned towards Teddy. “And you, Teddy, take care of this old man here. He’s too serious. He needs more fun in his life!”

“Halmeoni, I’m not that old!”

Halmeoni just laughed at Draco’s protest. “Well, it was a nice quick visit. I must run now. You don’t need to show me out the door. I’m not some fragile person made from glass! Continue your breakfast and do let Teddy try some kimchi! I’m leaving now. Goodbye!”

Teddy watched Halmeoni walk out — quite fast for someone her age — and ended the translation spell when he heard the door shut. “So that was Halmeoni, your landlady?”

Draco nodded. “Yes. She and her families used to live here, but then many of them decided to move to the bigger cities like Seoul, Busan, and of course Gwangju. Only her oldest son’s family remain here, so they decided to get a smaller place built in the village at the bottom of the hill and rent this place out.”

“Her name is not ‘Halmeoni’, right?”

“No. Halmeoni means ‘grandmother’, but it doesn’t have to be amongst relatives.”

“That makes sense,” Teddy eyed the kimchi pot.

“You want some now?”

“Could I just try a piece?”

“Yes.” Draco opened up the kimchi pot, and with a pair of chopsticks, took out one long piece of cabbage covered in red paste, dotted in green vegetables, and smelled of garlic, red pepper, and fish. He put it on Teddy’s plate. “It might be spicy so take caution.”

Teddy stabbed the cabbage with his fork and was about to take a bite when he felt a presence behind him. He looked and saw it was Mung Chung. The dokkaebi was watching him with interest.

“Did he do something to this?” Teddy couldn’t help but ask Draco.

“No. Apparently he likes to watch foreigners eat kimchi. He did the same thing with me.”

“Ah.” Teddy, ignoring Mung Chung, took a bite of the cabbage. The flavours burst on his tongue. The spiciness from the red pepper paste, the salt-flavour from the fish, and the sweet taste of the lettuce all combined together to give the unique taste of kimchi. He liked it. Teddy proceeded to eat the rest of the long piece of cabbage, and he could feel his mouth burning up and his eyes watering with tears.

Draco just stared at Teddy with an amused expression. “You all right there, Teddy?”

Instead of answering, Teddy grabbed his glass of water and gulped down its contents. He fanned his burning mouth and said, “Yes! Whoo! That was pretty spicy! Oh man, my eyes are tearing up something else! That was good, though. I like it a lot!”

“Mmmph! I thought he’d jump through the roof or something!” Mung Chung disappeared from the room.

Draco just shook his head at both Mung Chung and Teddy. “Glad you like it. I’m going to have Shinny put the rest of this away. I’m done with breakfast. I’ll be in my study. When you’re ready, come there.”

Teddy nodded. Draco took his leave, and it was after he left that Teddy remembered that milk was a better drink to have when eating spicy food. “Time for some milk!”

Teddy slid the door to the study open and stepped into the large room. He glanced briefly at the many bookshelves along the walls. On one side of the room, there was a big desk, its mahogany wood polished to the point that sunlight from the window reflected off of it. The other side looked much like a sitting room, with couches and armchairs, and a large coffee table in between them. A pile of papers and books lay on the table, and Draco, sitting at one of the couches, was flipping through one of them, with a pen in one hand and a tea cup in the other. Teddy stopped to stare at this image of seriousness and dedication. He watched the sun’s rays play with Draco’s pale blond hair. While looking, it was then he realised that Draco had on a pair of spectacles, and they complemented his pointy and angular facial structures.

“I didn’t know you wore glasses,” Teddy pointed towards the stylish frames.

“Only for reading,” Draco answered without looking up. He set his tea cup down and waved towards one of the chairs. “Have a seat.”

Teddy settled into a comfortable position on the couch across from Draco as he pulled out a notebook and a pen. He waited patiently for Draco to start telling him what needed to be known.

Draco finished whatever he was doing and sat back on the soft cushion. He took off his reading spectacles and put them away in a case. He crossed his legs and rested his hands and arms on the armrests. “Do you know why I am in South Korea?”

“It’s because of your interest in Korean magical mythology and folklore, isn’t it?”

“That’s most of it, yes, but I have another reason for why I am here.”

“And that would be?”

Draco gave Teddy an annoyed look. “If you wouldn’t interrupt me, I would tell you what you need to know.”

“Okay, okay.” Teddy succeeded in not rolling his eyes in exasperation at Draco.

“It was a year after my wife had passed away in an automobile accident. Scorpius was at Hogwarts, starting his third year, and I was restless and bored. I was at the Manor, in the library, going through some books. One of those books happened to be a book on Korean mythology. Within the book, though, were some papers that Riddle and somebody by the name of Kim Jung Min had made notes on about the mysterious Earth’s Milk.”

“Earth’s Milk . . . ?” Teddy repeated as he took notes without looking up.

“Yes, Earth’s Milk. The Korean term for it is ‘Jiyu’.” Draco sighed. “Let me back up a bit. In Korean mythology and folklore, there are multiple creation myths. The most famous and popular one is about Dangun, which stems from Buddhist cosmology. There are two more, both of which predate Buddhism. One is Taoist in nature. The one I’m about to explain is from the Totemic and the Shamanistic beliefs called the Mago-Mythology.

“This legend says that the world did not exist in the beginning. Instead, there was a deity named Yul-ryeo and a goddess called Mago. Yul-ryeo died, but Mago gave birth to two more goddesses, and they gave birth to two Men of Heaven and two Women of Heaven. Yul-ryeo was revived after their birth, and at that point, the world was created. Heaven, earth, and oceans were created and infused with Chi, which is soul, along with fire, water, and earth. This in turn gave rise to the plants and animals. The Heavenly People then decided to rule all living things from their heavenly fortress called Magoseong, or Mago’s Castle.

“These Heavenly People continued to have more offspring, and twelve of them happen to be the human being’s ancestors. These ancestors were said to be pure with supernatural powers. They spoke without making any sounds, acted without seeing, and were immortal. This is where the Jiyu comes into place. That so-called Earth’s Milk, which came from a spring inside Magoseong, enabled these ancestors to live their unspoiled heavenly life.”

By this time, Teddy had stopped his note-taking and was listening attentively to Draco’s lecture. Draco, he decided, had a way with words. Not only that, but Draco made something like a lecture enjoyable. Draco was definitely the opposite of Professor Binns. Instead of putting him to sleep, Teddy actually wanted to learn more about the subject, which was ironic since Teddy was never a fan of history, mythology, or the like.

Draco, however, mistook Teddy’s attention for boredom because he said next, “I hope this isn’t tedious for you.”

“Quite the contrary. This is fascinating stuff.”

“Well, I guess you’re not a total loss like Albus Severus.”

Teddy frowned at that comparison. “Excuse me?”

“Oh, nothing. You know his relationship with Scorpius? Scorpius told me that he tried to tell Albus Severus some of this information, and it put him to sleep. So I just assumed you, being influenced by the Potters, would find this subject dull.”

Teddy knew he should be insulted by Draco’s assumptions. Instead, though, he decided to just give a smug smile at Draco. “Well, you forgot something. I may be influenced by Harry and all the Potters plus the Weasleys, but I am a Black by blood like you, and I was raised by your aunt, my grandmother, a fellow Black. In fact, let me remind you that we are related.”

Teddy watched Draco crack a small smile. “Touché.”

“Now do go on. There is more to the explanation.” It was said as a statement rather than a question.

“Back to the Jiyu. It wasn’t long before overpopulation came to Magoseong, and there was a shortage of these Heavenly People’s energy source. Then came the fateful day where one man, by the name of Jiso, decided to give up his share for his fellow people. Another source says he waited too long in line, didn’t get his turn, and grew hungry to the point of starvation. The point is that his hunger drove him to try to commit suicide by jumping off a cliff. At its edge, he saw some grapevines. Succumbing to his hunger, he ate the grapes, and acquired the five types of taste.

“He then proceeded to tell the other people, and they, too, ate the grapes. But they soon grew teeth and formed saliva that transformed into venom, and it’s all because they ate another living thing to stay alive.”

“Wow, so it’s kind of like Adam and Eve with the snake in the Garden of Eden,” Teddy said, still transfixed on Draco’s lecture.

“Yes, the similarity is quite striking in some ways. Like Adam and Eve, their wrongful discovery led them to experience changes and hardships such as their skin becoming coarse, their new lack of purity, and their lifespan shrinking. It wasn’t long before Jiso and the others who ate the grapes were told to leave Magoseong. Unfortunately, as they were leaving, Hwang-gun, the direct ancestor of the Korean people, told them that they could regain their purity back and be free from this curse. Jiso and the others decided that they needed to drink some Jiyu to regain their heavenly status. They stormed down the place and tried to find the source of the spring. They found it, but it flowed all over and converted into inedible earth.

“Everyone at Magoseong lost their source of food, and they starved until they started to eat grapes and everything from plants to animals. Things were pretty chaotic, more or less. However, there was hope as Hwang-gun went to Mago herself and begged for forgiveness. He promised her that he would try to help his fellow men and women regain their heavenly nature, and henceforth he gained the Three Heavenly Heirlooms and the knowledge to survive in the world. It was from there that Hwang-gun and three other guardians and their descendants settled in the different parts of the world, with Hwang-gun settling in Korea.”

“This is all quite in-depth and captivating.” Teddy leaned back into his seat, his notebook and pen lying on the table, forgotten.

“The Jiyu’s the reason why I’m here. Riddle and Kim were researching the last remaining three drops of Jiyu somewhere in the world. Their guess was that it’s somewhere in Korea, which makes sense because another myth stated that later, after Hwang-gun settled in Korea with his people, he made contact with Mago one last time, and Mago gave him the remaining three drops of Jiyu in a small vial, made of diamond.”

“The hardest natural-occurring mineral in the world,” Teddy speculated mostly to himself. “To protect the remaining drops. That makes sense.”

“Yes, I think that’s a natural conclusion, though I wonder when you had time to study geology.” Draco took a sip of his tea, still warm due to the heating spells. “Anyway, that’s the reason why I am here. Thanks to the findings about the Jiyu, I read and studied more on Korean mythology and folklore. I started to communicate with the scholars and professors here. I visited several times, and then the president of Yonsei University offered me a teaching position at their college of Korean mythology and folklore. I decided that this would be a perfect opportunity to study more about the subject and to do research into the location of the Jiyu.”

Draco took out a piece of yellowed paper and showed it to Teddy. On the paper there were foreign looking characters. “Does this tell you of the clue of the location?”

“Yes. However, it’s written in the ancient Korean language. Luckily, Kim had already translated it into modern Korean, and this is the riddle in English.” He pulled out another piece of paper and handed that to Teddy.

Teddy read:

In between two warring states of power,
Divided by a common legacy,
On a rocky spire, deep within a cave,
There lies the remnant of the Ancient Past.

From the clear waters in its hidden depths
To the origins of the mighty world,
The souls of the magic come into place,
The round pedestal unites and divides.

“That’s quite a vague riddle, and I’m amazed it’s in iambic pentameter.”

Draco nodded. “I’m surprised you even know what iambic pentameter means. But yes, it is. From what I concluded, the Jiyu must be somewhere between North and South Korea, but I haven’t found that location yet.”

“And you didn’t want anybody else to know about this, right? Because the files I received certainly didn’t give me this reason for you being here.”

“Of course. The MOMS doesn’t need to know about this. If they knew, they’d prevent me from locating the Jiyu.”

“That’s a high possibility. However, it seems like someone else must know about its existence and know you’re looking for it as well, hence that attack on you.”

Draco grimaced. “Yes, I have come to that conclusion.”

Teddy now snapped into his business mode, letting his Auror-trained mind take over the situation. “Logically speaking, there are two other people who know of this because of the notes. Riddle and Kim. Riddle’s out of question. But Kim . . . ”

“He’s dead.”

“Oh?”

“He was apparently a Muggle who was visiting England in the 1970s.”

Teddy’s face hardened at the realisation that hit him and at the way Draco had slightly shifted uncomfortably. “I see. That would explain Riddle getting the notes.”

“Yes. Obviously he didn’t succeed in finding this, which is probably a good thing. Legend has it that if anyone consumes the last remnant of the Jiyu, then they will gain godlike powers, which I’m sure is the reason why Riddle was interested in it.”

“What about the Kim’s family?”

“He didn’t have any. I looked him up, but the records stated that by the time he was in England, he was the only one left in his family. His parents had already passed away, he was an only child, and he didn’t have his own family.”

“Well, so much for that angle.”

Draco gave a nod. “That’s pretty much all the information I have. It’s definite that whoever tried to attack me was doing so because of my secret research with the hidden Jiyu, but the ‘whodunnit’ part is rather elusive. However, they obviously failed, since I am very much alive now.”

“And very modest,” Teddy teased.

“Shut up,” Draco stood up at that point and stretched his arms high in the air. He grabbed a very fat folder full of papers and walked around the table to stand next to Teddy, who was still sitting down.

Teddy looked up, and that same sweet and spicy scent attacked him, thanks to Draco’s close proximity. He blinked and tried to make his brain work, but all he could do was let the smell overwhelm him. He felt dazed as he reached out to touch the robe’s sleeves, wanting to grab the pale wrist he could see peeking through its clothes.

At the last minute, though, he grabbed the folder.

“Read the rest of this file. I have other things to work on for the day. I have to get lesson plans ready for my classes as well as a couple of quizzes. You can either read it here or go to your room and read. I don’t care. Just don’t get in my way.”

His throat and mouth dry, Teddy just nodded, stood up, and decided to leave the room and read the files somewhere else. Preferably far away from Draco so he could not only concentrate on reading this but also try to guess just what was going on with his sense of smell!

Really, Teddy shouldn’t be surprised that the file contained all the details Draco had already told him. “Guess he didn’t trust me to comprehend all this the first time he explained it all!”

Despite that minor complaint, Teddy went through the file thoroughly, and by the time he finished, he could see all the whys, but like Draco, he couldn’t see the who and the where. Who else knew about this and where was that last remaining Jiyu?

After going through the file’s contents, Teddy grabbed his cup of tea, sat back on the comfortable couch, and relaxed his sore neck and back. He sipped on his drink as he tried to think of ways to get more information about Kim. There were files from the MOMS about this man, but nothing from England.

Just as he set his tea cup down, Draco walked in. “Shinny’s cooking. Supper will be ready soon.”

“It’s that late?” Teddy glanced at his watch, a watch that displayed Britain’s time and his current location’s time. “Wow, I didn’t realise how much time had passed.”

“Hn,” was the Draco’s noncommittal answer.

“I noticed that Kim’s information only came from MOMS. Have you tried to find out more about him from our Ministry of Magic?”

“No. I haven’t tried.”

“How come?”

Draco gave Teddy a sharp look. Underlying that look, Teddy sensed something else. Bitterness. “Even though I was employed by the Ministry, imagine me going to them and asking to see if there was any information regarding a Death Eater’s victim. I doubt that would have gone over well.”

“It was in the past; I’m sure they wouldn’t have questioned your actions since you did join the light side at the end.”

Instead of responding, Draco just stared down at Teddy for a long moment. He finally said, “The past is not that easy to forget or forgive.”

Teddy didn’t rebuke that statement. As much as it disgusted him, what Draco said was the truth. The past haunted people more than they realised. “Then do you mind if I check this out?”

The bitterness that surrounded Draco disappeared as he waved his hand. “Go ahead. I doubt you will find anything useful, though. Now, let’s go eat some supper.”

Draco left the room, and Teddy, after he cleaned up his mess, went to the dining room. While eating, the two men didn’t say much, but when it was time for some dessert, Draco broke the companionable silence.

“Since it would be an extreme shame for you to be in South Korea and not see any of it, we can do some sightseeing tomorrow. Is there anything in particular you would like to see?”

“I don’t know if it’s a good idea . . . what if someone tries to attack you while we’re out?”

“Oh, for Merlin’s sake!” Draco scowled angrily. “I am not going to be a prisoner in my own home because of that attack. I refuse to let that attacker get the best of me. Plus, you will be with me — something I am not exactly happy about — so it’s not like I’m going to be out by myself!”

Teddy gave in. After all, it was silly to prevent Draco from leaving the place. The man did have to leave to go do his job, after all. “Fine, fine. I would like to see more of Seoul. I am not sure what’s good to see there, but I trust you know of some good locations?”

“Yes, I do.” Draco scowl lessened in its severity but didn’t disappear entirely.

“Then I’ll leave it up to you. I trust you won’t take me to some sleazy place I will dislike. Though I am not that picky, so any place you choose will be fine with me.” Teddy gave Draco a friendly smile to placate him.

A smile that Draco seemed to be immune to. “Taking you to a sleazy place . . . the temptation is there.”

Teddy just rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “I’m sure.”

“I’ll think of something. I’ll let you know tomorrow.”

“Brilliant. Oh, by the way, I’ve been meaning to ask, why are you all the way out here, near Gwangju instead of Seoul?”

“This place intrigued me the most of all I had seen when I was house hunting. The countryside also reminded me of the moors back home.”

Teddy laughed. “Something about these rice paddies sure reminds both of us about the moors.”

“Well, they are green. Plus with the ability to Apparate and the availability of Portkeys, living a bit out of the way doesn’t mean anything to me.”

“True. And this area is only about four hours away by car.”

“Yes.” Draco rose from his seat. “Well, as much as I hate to cut off this pleasantry, I have more work to do before the necessity of sleep overcomes me. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Good night.” As soon as the older man left the room, Teddy could immediately smell the lack of Draco’s scent. While it hadn’t bothered him during their mealtime, now that the scent wasn’t as prominent, he could sense it, and he strangely missed it. Teddy groaned to himself as he wondered just what was up with him and Draco’s scent. Just why was he so affected by it? Shoving these unanswerable questions aside, Teddy went to his room to catch up on a mystery novel.

Next day came with its own share of problems. This made Teddy come to a really simple conclusion: Mung Chung hated him.

It was a blessing that Teddy woke in a normal manner unlike the previous day’s rude awakening. However, when Teddy went to have his cold shower, instead of feeling refreshed and energised, scalding, hot water greeted him, and he nearly suffered from what felt like third-degree burns. Luckily, the water cooled back down, and Teddy took a rather uncomfortable shower.

Things just went downhill from then. More childish pranks occurred during breakfast. Teddy discovered that his tea was contaminated with salt, his food burnt to crisp just as he tried to eat some, and the food itself was practically drowned with the spiciest Korean green pepper, something called “chunyang ggo chu”. This was also where he learned, from Draco, that “ggo chu” meant not only chilli pepper, but was also slang for “penis”. He decided that, considering how this particular pepper was in the shape of a perfect phallus, it made sense for the word to have two meanings.

Teddy was getting sick of the pranks, though. He finally requested Draco to ask Mung Chung to stop.

“Really, I may have worked at Uncle George’s WWW store for a year after graduating from Hogwarts, but this is going beyond mere pranks! At this point, that pint-sized thing is going to poison me without me realising it!”

Draco raised an eyebrow. “I’m aware of your involvement with that establishment. That’s why I figured you and Mung Chung would get along. It’s quite surprising to hear otherwise.”

“Even I have limits.”

“Again, it’s really surprising to hear that from you.”

“And,” Teddy retorted, “I am not Uncle George nor am I related to Peeves.”

“Fine. I’ll talk with him after breakfast.”

The two of them finished their breakfast. Draco went off to talk with Mung Chung, and Teddy went off to grab his Muggle digital camera — a gift from Aunt Hermione — and a few other necessities for a day of sightseeing.

Without saying a word, Draco grabbed Teddy’s hand to do some side-along Apparating. There was a pop, and Teddy’s peripheral views of the rice paddies changed into concrete buildings. Not only did his view change, but that scent he was starting recognise as Draco’s affected his smell, and that brief holding of the hands brought a jolt of energy. With their hands still clasped, Teddy saw that they had Apparated into a position where Draco was against one of the buildings’ walls, and Teddy was right in front of him. There was a good amount of space between them, but it was closer than what should have been “normal” in Teddy’s perspective.

Quickly, Teddy took the opportunity to look straight into the Draco’s face. While he’d had a good look at the man’s body the other day, he realised that he had yet to really look at his face this closely. He studied the sharpness of the facial structure, the barely seen facial hair that covered Draco’s cheeks and chin. He looked at the faint lines associated with aging on various parts of the face. He looked at the blond hair that was slicked back, which only showed more of Draco’s receding hair line, but Teddy thought that gave the older man a regal look.

However, it was the steel grey eyes that Teddy found himself almost drowning in its depth. He saw fast-moving sparks of energy in them, but in contrast, he could almost see something, like mercurial liquid, deep inside that moved slowly. Teddy had the feeling that the two opposite forces were in harmony with one another. It was as if the sparks represented Draco’s vitality — he wasn’t that old by wizarding standards — and the liquid represented the maturity that comes gradually with age.

Teddy felt like he was in a spell, and if it really was a spell, he found himself wishing that it wouldn’t break.

Unfortunately for Teddy, Draco broke the spell by letting go of their hands, and he stepped around Teddy.

“We have Apparated to a safe spot near Sadang Station. I assumed you’d want to try riding Seoul’s subway system at least once while here. We’ll get on the subway and travel up on line number four to reach our destination of Myeong-dong.” Draco started to walk out of the alley, and Teddy followed.

It wasn’t long before they reached the stairs that would take them to the underground transport. Below the surface, Teddy watched Draco purchase something at the ticket counter and come back with a card. Draco handed the card to Teddy and said, “This is a T-Money card. You can use it for buses, subways, and even some taxis by scanning it against the machine. Just make sure to charge it when your balance is getting low. Just stick it in your wallet and scan it that way. The machine’s quite sensitive, to the point you can have the card in a bag and just scan the bag.”

“That’s brilliant, really, and convenient. That way, I don’t have to constantly take the card out to scan it!”

“Let’s go.” Draco swiped his own wallet against the machine as he walked the gate.

When they were on the subway, they were able to get seats. Sitting down, Teddy saw a few Koreans staring at him and Draco. He smiled at them, but they just averted their eyes. Teddy remembered being warned about something like this, how some Koreans stared at foreigners in curiosity despite how globalised and westernised South Korea had become in the last half-century.

Or maybe the people stared at both of them because of their differences in clothing style. Draco, formal as always, wore a grey-coloured suit along with a green tie. Over the suit, he had on a long black coat and had on a pair of black dress shoes. While Draco looked like he was headed to do some official business negotiation, Teddy wore loose-fitting jeans, a green hooded sweatshirt over a tee-shirt, and finished off with some Converse sneakers. Slung over him was a messenger bag, where he carried his camera and other stuff.

Quite honestly, Teddy could see why they were stared at, but he didn’t care. He wanted the excursion to be a comfortable one, and if Draco was comfortable in suits, then so be it. Beside, he actually found the suits meshed well with the older man.

“I’m glad your hair isn’t in some radical shade,” said Draco, breaking the silence between the two of them.

“I told you, when we’re in public, I won’t draw unwanted attention.”

“That you did.” Draco paused for a minute. “Thank you for that.”

Teddy smiled, the same smile that had been said could charm the pants off of a Norwegian Ridgeback. Teddy saw something change in Draco’s grey eyes, but it was too quick to see what it exactly was.

Draco looked up at the signboard that flashed which stop they were approaching. “We’ll be there shortly.”

Teddy reached into his wallet to pull out his wallet-sized, foldable Seoul subway map. He scanned it. “We’re on line number four, right? The sky-blue line?”

“Yes.”

Teddy found Sadang and then he travelled up north to look for Myeong-dong. “Found it and we’re approaching Ichon-station, so that means we have more six more stops. About how long will that take?”

“Twenty more minutes or so.” Right when Draco said that, the dark underground tunnels became light as they were outside now, crossing a bridge across a river.

Teddy looked out the windows to watch the scenery pass by. “We’re crossing the Han River, aren’t we?”

“You’re correct.” Just then an older woman came down the train, and when she was in front of Teddy, Draco stood up and offered her his seat in Korean.

Teddy decided to stand up as well, deciding that he wanted to see how well his balance was on the shaky train. He stood next to Draco, holding onto the seat’s metal bar. “That was generous of you.”

“It’s an unspoken rule here to give the older citizens, pregnant women, disabled citizens, and the religious nuns and monks your seat.”

Teddy recalled Uncle Ron talking about the past when he was in one of his moods. One thing Uncle Ron liked to reminiscence about was the good ol’ days of his early years at Hogwarts, in particular about how Draco Malfoy was an “arse-faced, pompous, self-centred git who pranced around talking about how the Purebloods were the real wizards and witches”. If Teddy was to apply that description to the present Draco, he would agree with the “pompous, self-centred git” part, but he could see that time had toned Draco’s xenophobic attitude down a lot.

He was thinking so hard that he almost missed what Draco said next. “I’m glad Seoul’s subway system is convenient. Much more than Tokyo’s. I had the unfortunate privilege of being privy to their subways once because I had a conference there, and it was more hectic and confusing than Seoul’s. When I came back to Seoul, I decided never to complain about Seoul’s subway system.”

Teddy laughed at that. “One of my co-workers, stationed in Tokyo, told me that as well. He said that he had a love-hate relationship with that subway system. He loved it because it was cheap compared to other public transportation, but he hated the JR Line or something another.”

“Yes, the JR Line is quite annoying in the sense that the map they gave us didn’t list all the stops compared to the real JR Line that were displayed at the stations.”

“That’s odd how not all the stations are on the map. Very perplexing.”

“Indeed.” Draco looked up at the board. “Three more stops.”

“Exactly what is Myeong-dong?”

“It’s a popular shopping district, especially for the younger generation. Not only does it serve as a shopping area, but it has a lot of bars, cafes, and restaurants for people to easily hang out with their friends. Unfortunately, it is like a giant labyrinth, many streets and alleyways are tangled up in there, so if you want to look for a store in the middle of Myeong-dong, good luck. Thankfully, I know the outer edges of the area fairly well, and then we can get lost in the middle for a while if you’d like.”

“You must have gone there a lot to be familiar with it.”

Draco nodded. “A lot of previous visits led me here, and MOMS is located only fifteen minutes away from Myeong-dong, so I ventured out here with my business associates for a drink or two. The wizards and witches here are more or less part of the Muggle society, all blending seamlessly with each other.”

“Ah,” Teddy said, moving towards the door, “we’re here.”

They stepped out onto the platform, and Draco led the way. It wasn’t long before they climbed the flight of stairs where noisiness and crowdedness greeted the two of them.

“Wow.” Teddy looked around, taking in the multitude of people and the various vendors that were lined up down the streets. “This reminds me of a crowded version of Diagon Alley.”

Draco grabbed onto Teddy’s messenger bag’s strap. “Let’s start walking. I’m going to hold onto this, if you don’t mind. As much as I’m not crazy about having a baby-sitter, I don’t fancy the idea of you being lost in Myeong-dong by yourself.”

“You think you have a baby-sitter? I think you just turned the tables here in making me feel like I’m being baby-sat!” Teddy sniggered good-naturedly.

“Oh, trust me. That was my intention.” Draco tugged the strap. “Let’s go. If you see something interesting or want to go in a store, let me know.”

The two of them walked down the streets where Teddy looked at each vendor to see what was being sold. A lot of it dealt with fashion and food, though he wasn’t really interested in the former. However, he did see items that he knew he could buy for his grandmother and Victoire.

As if reading his mind, Draco asked, “See something you want to buy Victoire?”

“Yes, but . . . ” Teddy shifted uncomfortably. “We’re not together right now.”

“Oh? I thought you were going to be like your godfather and the rest of the Weasleys where you marry and quickly have about a thousand children. You’re surprisingly still single.”

Teddy didn’t say anything. This prompted Draco to continue. “But then again, I did notice how your godfather separated from his wife, so maybe he wasn’t meant to have that domestic lifestyle.”

“Probably.” Teddy let out a sigh and decided to just tell Draco his situation. “Maybe I’m not meant to get into that lifestyle either. I actually was the one who told Victoire we should . . . separate for a while.”

“Really?” Draco raised his eyebrow. “That’s quite surprising. Why, if I may ask?”

“The answer’s simple: I don’t love her. I mean, I love her like a best friend, but something’s telling me that she’s not the one.”

“You never struck me as the type to believe in predestination,” Draco noted dryly.

“That’s the thing. It’s not about fate or destiny. It’s . . . my sense of smell.”

“Smell?” Draco frowned until realisation dawned on him. “I see. I wasn’t aware of what werewolf genetic does to the offspring.”

While they walked deeper into Myeong-dong, Teddy explained his sense of smell, and how he used it with his job. Teddy’s love life now forgotten, the two of them talked about various Ministry and Auror topics along with Draco’s job as a professor. They even talked about Draco’s previous job at the Ministry where he worked as one of the analysts for the Department of Mysteries.

They talked while Teddy shopped and took pictures. He bought something for his grandmother and caved in to buy something for Victoire. He planned to use it as a means of reconciling with Victoire and hoped the two of them could be friends.

It wasn’t long before he saw people walking around with tall soft ice cream cones, and then he wanted one! Luckily, he found the place that sold them. They were really cheap and very long — the store’s sign saying it was thirty two centimetres long. He got the chocolate cone while Draco bought vanilla. Before he started on the cone, though, he whipped out his digital camera and took a picture of himself with it.

“Folks back home won’t believe this is real!” Teddy said excitedly. “Especially when I tell them the price.”

Draco gave Teddy a small smile. “I’m amused that such a small thing as ice cream would make you act like some hyperactive brat.”

Teddy ignored the insult and ate his cone before it melted into a sticky mess. They walked around with the ice cream, and when it was gone, Teddy perused the streets and stores some more.

The next three hours passed by quickly, and Teddy had to agree with Draco when he said, “Let’s go eat a proper meal.”

He hadn’t realised how much time had passed. That would explain his hunger. “Well, I’m game for anything. If you know of a good place, let’s just go there.”

Teddy followed Draco into a traditional Korean restaurant. He saw that the establishment was one where customers sat on the floor on some cushions, and ate like that. He knew he had to take his shoes off to get up onto the dining area. That wasn’t surprising. What was surprising was to see Max eating with a female companion.

“Well, I’ll be. What are the chances of us meeting in a big place like Seoul?” Max stood up and walked over to them. “Fancy meeting you guys here!”

Teddy nodded, “What a coincidence.”

Draco folded his arms across his chest. “I think Max is stalking us.”

“Oh, you wound me! How can you say something like that when we’re such great friends?”

Draco gave him a pinched look. “Great friends? You may have come to that conclusion, but I most certainly haven’t!”

Max ignored Draco’s comment and instead slung an arm across Teddy’s shoulders. “Come, come! Feel free to join us! Here, let me introduce my girlfriend!” He dragged Teddy over to his table with Draco following.

The young woman, about Max’s age, stood up to greet them. In English, she said, “Hello, I’m Pak Jin Sil. Pleased to meet you.”

Teddy studied the woman in front of him. She actually looked very plain. She had on tight jeans and wore a simple black turtleneck shirt with a beige-coloured jacket over it. Her long black hair was in a ponytail, and she wore a necklace. Well, Teddy couldn’t help but see that it was more like a small pouch, the size of a snitch, on strings, but he just guessed that she wore it like a necklace.

Just how in the world such a normal looking girl got together with wild and crazy Max was beyond Teddy’s guess. He tried to see if Draco looked as bewildered as himself, but Draco just looked indifferent as usual. He did greet Jin Sil politely.

Ah, yes, he’s using the Malfoy charm on her. Teddy smiled and subtly sniffed her out. There wasn’t anything dangerous or suspicious about her, so he greeted her. “Nice to meet you, Jin Sil. I’m Teddy.”

“Ah, yes, Max told me about you and Draco. I’m glad to finally meet you two in person!” She gave the two of them a friendly smile. Then she gestured for them to sit down. “Sit! Let’s eat together.”

“Great,” Teddy said. “I’m starving.”

The four of them shared a big meal of bulgogi and galbi, basically two different meat dishes that came with many small side dishes that included kimchi, some lettuce to wrap the meat in with some soybean paste called dwaenjang, and a bowl of rice. Teddy, while he had tried bulgogi in London once, decided that nothing beat real Korean bulgogi and galbi!

The four of them ate and talked with each other. Halfway through the meal, Max ordered some soju, the Korean version of vodka — which was what Teddy came to the conclusion of — and all four shared a shot or two of the clear alcoholic drink.

Teddy discovered that it tasted pretty vile. He couldn’t help it as he made a face after he downed his first shot. Teddy watched Draco drink like a pro, and said, “You don’t find the taste a bit unpleasant?”

“Nope. I’ve had time to get used to it. It’s actually not bad, though. Taste a lot better than Korean beer if you ask me, though nothing beats brandy.”

Teddy tried one more shot before he decided that he’d stick with the Korean beer that Draco found disgusting. At least it tasted better than soju!

After spending a couple of hours eating, drinking, and talking, Teddy and Draco decided to finally end the meal. To be accurate, Draco was the one who said, “As much as the meal was pleasant and all, I think it’s time for us to part ways.”

“Aw, come on Draco, you can stick around longer!” Max exclaimed.

However, Jin Sil went against Max’s idea. “Max, I’m sure they have plans. We can just meet up with them again sometime in the near future.”

Teddy nodded. “I agree. We can just meet up again for dinner or something.”

Max jutted out his lips for a few seconds before he burst out laughing. “Fine. We’ll do that.”

While this was going on, Teddy saw that Draco had already gone up to the register to pay for their entire meal. Draco came back and said, “Jin Sil, it’s been a pleasure to meet you. Teddy, are you ready?”

“Wait, wait, wait! You paid the entire thing?!” Max stood up to put his shoes on.

“Yes.”

“Oh, thank you, but you didn’t have to,” Jin Sil said, reaching out to calm her boyfriend down.

“It’s not a big deal. It’s only natural that the oldest one here pays it all. Now, if you’ll excuse us.” Draco bowed at them.

Teddy awkwardly followed suit and after saying his final farewell to the couple, he followed Draco out the restaurant. Once they were back out on the busy streets of Myeong-dong, Teddy thanked Draco as well.

“You don’t need to thank me.”

“Oh, but I do need to thank you,” Teddy insisted. “I know that probably cost quite a bit of sum.”

“It was nothing.” Draco gave Teddy a look that plainly said to drop the subject.

“Okay. Now, what are we going to do?”

“We’re going to the Myeong-dong’s version of ‘The Leaky Cauldron’, and we’re going to Apparate to the safe spot located halfway up to the Seoul Tower on Namsan Mountain.” Draco once again grabbed onto the bag’s strap.

Click on the image for the larger version. Fanart by Jenken.

“That sounds like fun,” Teddy grinned as he dodged through the crowd with Draco hanging onto his bag.

“Yes, and we’re lucky today’s a nice, clear day. It will be great for you to see the city from there.”

It wasn’t long until the two of them arrived at “The Spicy Cabbage” establishment. Draco greeted the bartender. Teddy looked around the small, cramped place. Despite its size, though, it held a cosy atmosphere, and he saw kimchi pots and posters of different kimchi all over the place. After Draco finished his brief talk with the bartender, he again grabbed onto Teddy’s hand, and with a pop, they disappeared.

Teddy blinked at their new location. It was a wooded area, and off to the side, he saw a path.

“Let’s go,” Draco led the way.

After a pleasant walk up the rest of the mountain, they reached the top and walked into the tower. They paid a small fee to get up to the observation decks. Once up there, Teddy admired the view of the whole city. He took pictures of the views, capturing all the buildings, streets, and the Han River. Off in the distance, he saw a tall brownish building.

“What’s that?”

“Hn?” Draco followed Teddy’s line of the sight. “That tall building is the DLI 63 building. That, too, has an observation deck and even an aquarium to visit. However, if you want an aquarium to explore, the one at Coex Mall is better, from what I’ve been told.”

“Fascinating. There is so much to see here!”

Draco smiled at Teddy’s enthusiasm. “Well, during the holidays, after Christmas, Scorpius and Albus Severus are thinking about coming by for a visit, which naturally means tourism. I’m sure, if you’re still around here, you can accompany them.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Teddy agreed.

They stayed there until night-time came. With the darkened skies, the whole city lit up beautifully. From the streetlights to all the glowing buildings, Teddy couldn’t help but be enamoured by the view as he snapped away with his camera.

After Teddy had his fair share of pictures, he and Draco decided to have supper in the rotating restaurant up on the fourth deck. This time Teddy insisted on paying for their meal, and throughout it, they talked some more about Korean mythology, comparing it to the western ones.

Before they left the tower, Teddy stopped by the gift shop to buy more gifts and souvenirs for himself and his friends and family. He put them into his bag, after casting a discreet shrinking charm, and soon he and Draco found a quiet, secluded place to Portkey back to Draco’s home in Gwangju.

“Thanks a lot for today,” Teddy said once they were back in the house. “I appreciate it, and it was a blast, really.”

“Not a problem,” Draco sat down on the nearest couch in the sitting room. He waved his hand to make the fire come to life in the fireplace. Teddy sat down on the spot next to Draco, and he watched the other man loosened his tie after removing his suit jacket and overcoat.

Draco sighed as he leaned against the couch. “I’m quite exhausted from our excursion. I think I will turn in earlier than usual tonight. Thank goodness I already finished all my work last night.”

Teddy, not wanting Draco to turn cranky, agreed with him. “Do go. Don’t worry about me.”

Draco gave him a look. “Who said I would worry about you?”

“I simply meant that you don’t need to play host here. Just go off to bed. I can take care of myself.”

Draco just rolled his eyes and stood up. “Fine, fine. Just don’t break anything here.”

“May I borrow your fireplace to Floo call Harry and ask about looking up any information regarding Kim? I won’t mention the full story of why you’re here.”

“You may.” Draco started to walk out of the room, slinging his jacket and coat over his shoulder. “The powder’s on top of the mantel. I doubt Potter and the rest of the Ministry officials will be able to find any information, but far be it for me to talk you out of it. Good night, now.”

“Good night.”

Once Draco was gone, Teddy stood up, went to the mantel, grabbed some powder and called out to Harry Potter at Number 12, Grimmauld Place. It was Sunday afternoon there, and he expected his godfather to be home.

However, when he was connected to Number 12, Grimmauld Place, he saw Neville Longbottom instead of Harry at first, which shouldn’t be a surprise since after Harry’s divorce from Ginny, he seemed to have found his new love with Neville.

“Oh, hello, Teddy!” Neville cheerfully said. “Harry’s — ah — off in the kitchen. I’ll go get him.”

Neville went out of view, and it wasn’t long before Teddy saw his godfather’s familiar face. “Teddy! What’s the occasion? Is everything going all right with you and Malfoy?”

Teddy gave a big smile to his godfather. “I’m fine. Draco and I are adapting to each other. We actually just came back from a day of sightseeing in Seoul.”

“In Muggle territory?” Teddy saw the look of disbelief on Harry’s face. “I, well, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. People do change over a long period of time.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t entirely say that,” Teddy sniggered. “He’s still prickly and snobbish as ever, not to mention sarcastic, but he must have changed. He doesn’t exactly match up with Uncle Ron’s description of him from the past.”

“Hn,” Harry rubbed his chin. “Well, I doubt you Floo called me to talk about comparing and contrasting Malfoy from now and the past. What’s up?”

Teddy explained briefly without going into the full details. “Is it possible you can find more information about him, even if it isn’t anything helpful?”

“Not a problem. I’ll take care of it and will let you know of anything that comes up.”

“Thanks, Harry. I’ll let you get back to Neville.”

Teddy saw the slightly embarrassed smile on his face. “You take care now. Keep in touch.”

Teddy nodded and ended the Floo call. Now, it’s time for me to get some sleep . . . after I sort out all the stuff I bought.

Luckily, whatever talk Draco had with Mung Chung worked because his mornings were pretty much left alone. No more rude awakenings and pranks occurred; at least nothing obvious. Like whenever his pens or the tea he was drinking disappeared, he knew or suspected Mung Chung. However, since it was so minor, he let it pass and only tried to “compliment” the dokkaebi by throwing out comments like “Hope you enjoy the tea,” or something mundane like that.

The day after their sightseeing happened to be Monday. Draco had to go back to work at Yonsei University, and Teddy followed him. Dressing in a pair of black trousers with a grey jumper over a white collared shirt, he pretended to be Draco’s new teaching assistant, who came in the middle of the school term because he was delayed at the immigration office with some visa problems.

Naturally, Draco didn’t exactly accept the idea easily. Teddy suffered through the brief grumblings from Draco who had grumped about how this was another way for Teddy to constantly follow him as a baby-sitter. However, Draco grudgingly accepted the idea because he explained the sooner Teddy figured out what was going on, the sooner he could solve it.

So every morning and afternoon, from Monday to Friday, Teddy sat in the back of Draco’s classroom, pretended to take notes, kept an eye out for anyone who might be suspicious, and ate lunch with Draco in the campus’ cafeteria or at one of the many small restaurants outside the campus.

He also found himself actually listening to Draco’s lecture. Thanks to the usefulness of translation charms, much like that night where Draco explained about the Jiyu, Teddy found himself entranced by Draco’s powerful and thought-provoking lectures. Each day, he learned more about Korean mythology and folklore. Each day, he learned something new and different about Draco by watching the way he interacted with his students. Each day, he felt something change within him, but he didn’t know what it was.

When the final class ended each day, Teddy would put the room back in order, grade whatever assignments and quizzes he could grade, input what was graded into the grade book, and anything else that would help Draco have time to prepare for the next day and to open up time for the two to research more about the Jiyu.

During the next couple of weeks, the two of them fell into a comfortable routine. Somewhere along the line, they formed an easy partnership. They still bickered, but the “dislike” Draco had at the beginning and Teddy’s wariness towards Draco disappeared as the two settled into intellectual debates about various different topics over their meals and tea instead.

On some days, after class and on Saturdays, Draco would take Teddy to explore a new area of Seoul or different parts of South Korea. This gave Teddy more tastes of the richness of South Korean lifestyle and culture. He saw the foreigner’s haven of Itaewon where there were more bars, restaurants, and coffee shops combined with stores and street vendors. The artsy district of Insa-dong where traditional arts, crafts, and antiques could be seen along the long stretch of streets impressed him, and a fair amount of spending money was used there. Teddy even went to a Buddhist Temple, called Bongeunsa, in the middle of Gangnam, right across the street from Coex Mall, and he was amazed how quiet the area was despite it being next to a busy street in a city.

Outside of Seoul, Draco took him to Seoraksan, the highest mountain of the Taebaek mountain range located in Gangwon province, in the north-eastern part of the country. Teddy enjoyed their time there, as he always liked the simple beauty of nature. He was fond of the hike up the mountain to see the trees’ leaves change colours, and he took pleasure from seeing the beautiful waterfalls.

Another day, Draco suggested one of his favourite places, Gyeongju, a city in Gyeongsanbuk province, known as the capital of the Silla Kingdom in far away times. There, Teddy saw the giant burial mounds of previous kings and other historical figures. He also stopped by another Buddhist Temple called Bulguksa which held seven national treasures of South Korea. While still in Gyeongju, Teddy saw the Cheomseongdae, one of the oldest astronomical observatories in East Asia. Gyeongju really was a great place to visit for cultural and historical reasons. Teddy could see why Draco enjoyed the visits here.

Sundays were a day of rest. Both of them stayed home, or at least in the area when they wanted to go out for an evening walk, but they used the day to rest and catch up on whatever they needed to do. They sat in the sitting room, read books together while sipping their teas or the occasional glass of brandy, talked and researched together on their case. Shinny popped in here and there to remind the two men to eat. Mung Chung, more or less, left them alone.

Really, his days were actually quite peaceful. So peaceful, that more than once, Teddy had to remind himself that this was not some leisurely visit. Draco’s life was threatened, and he had to figure out just who could have done it and why. Not only that, but the question of the Jiyu’s location was so elusive. He wondered if that so-called diamond container existed at all.

It was during a Sunday towards the end of the month when Draco said, “I have a new seminar class. Twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays — for the entire month of November, I’m to teach this new class from four to seven in the afternoon.”

“Really? Well, your schedule’s pretty easy as it is, so an extra seminar won’t be a problem.”

“There’s no problem. I was simply telling you the change in my schedule.”

“Ah, I got you,” Teddy grinned.

Draco paused before he continued. “You know, you’ve been with me these past couple of weeks now. There hasn’t been any threat against me. No attacks, notes, nothing.”

“And . . . ?” Teddy cocked his head to the side. “Is that your subtle way of telling me that I am not needed, and that all this idea of you being targeted is all nothing but conjectures?”

“You summed it up nicely.”

“But what if it isn’t? What if we drop our guard now, and then something happens to you? Then you’d be dead and all that you have dedicated your life to won’t be fulfilled,” argued Teddy, setting his lips in a straight line and giving Draco a determined look. “I will not let that happen to you. I will not fail in this.”

Draco let out a small smile. “Are you done with your speech? I just wanted to say that I’m glad that you’re the one following me around instead of Potter, or worse, Weasley. You’re not bad company once we got over our mutual dislike for one another.”

“Mutual dislike? Wha–? Don’t you mean your dislike of me because of my association with my godfather and Uncle Ron?” Teddy asked, flabbergasted.

“Oh, you didn’t like me. I’m well aware of the stories you heard about me from your relations. Therefore, you were wary and suspicious of me, right? I’ll just categorise that as ‘mutual dislike’.”

Teddy just rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “Whatever you say.”

Draco laughed before he stood up. “Well, I think I shall turn in early. See you tomorrow morning.” He walked towards the exit, passed by Teddy, patted him on the shoulder, and left.

When Draco left the room, Teddy had the biggest epiphany in his life. For the past couple of weeks, he’d been struggling to try to decipher just what Draco’s scent meant to him. He couldn’t come up with any logical answers to his private dilemma. However, with the image of Draco’s laughing face in his mind and the way his shoulder tingled from where Draco’s hand touched him, he had a reaction within him. A reaction that triggered a familiar sensation in his groin.

Somehow and somewhere between his first day here and now, he had come to fancy Draco Malfoy. He recalled that first night when he met Draco, the way the older man’s smell had affected him. Now he knew why. His sense of smell was telling him that Draco was the one for him. He felt this in his gut, like the way he knew when his nose had told him that Victoire wasn’t the one for him.

Instead, though, it had to be Draco Eltanin Malfoy of all the people in the world.

All Teddy could say softly to himself for the next hour was, “Fuck, fuck fuck fucking fuck. Fuck, I’m screwed.”

November 2024

A week passed. Teddy shoved his unexpected revelation aside as he went about his daily routine with Draco. Unfortunately for Teddy, now that he knew just exactly what Draco’s scent had been trying to tell him the last month, Draco’s smell bothered him in ways that made him feel like a horny teenager again. Needless to say, his time in the showers was spent mostly wanking off to naughty thoughts of the man he was supposed to protect.

It was after one of those wanking session that Teddy noticed Draco giving him odd looks at breakfast one morning. As casually as he could, he asked, “Is something the matter?”

Draco let out a cough before he drawled, “You know if you are that sexually repressed, you can — ah — go out for a night or something.”

Teddy blushed harder than he ever had in his life. This was the most embarrassing moment of his life. More embarrassing than when he was caught by Headmistress McGonagall with Victoire in the Astronomy tower, where he snuck in to see her after he graduated from Hogwarts.

“I, er, that, er, I’m not . . .” After he fumbled around with his words he finally blurted, “How did you know?!”

“Easy.” Draco gave him a solemn look. “Two words: Mung Chung. I guess I should have warned you that he has voyeuristic tendencies. He watched you, and he came and told me each time you did it, which drew me to the conclusion that you need to go out for a while and get it out of your system.”

Teddy gaped at Draco. He couldn’t believe just how composed Draco was, discussing something this embarrassing like a weather reporter. “I . . . ” He stood up so fast that his chair almost fell backward. “I’m done with breakfast. I’ll go get ready first.”

As soon as Teddy was in the safety of his own room he sank to the floor as he leaned against the closed door. He buried his face in his arms as he pulled his legs up to him. He almost lost it in there. When Draco suggested he should take a night out in town, he had wanted to slam his hands down on the table in anger. He wanted to shout at Draco, “I don’t need anyone to give me a one-night stand! I want to be with you, preferably longer than one night!”

Teddy raised his head up and stared at the ceiling and thought, Fuck. Good thing I left before I could really muck everything up by saying that.

Suddenly remembering that Mung Chung was indubitably the cause of Teddy’s frazzled morning, Teddy shouted, “Mung Chung! I need to talk with you!”

Mung Chung appeared with a cheeky smile. “Yes?”

Lowering his voice, Teddy leaned in very close to the dokkaebi in front of him. In a controlled but angry voice, he said, “Will you please not spy on me?”

“Spy?”

“Yes and don’t tell Draco everything I do that’s personal!”

“But he’s the master of this house. He needs to know what’s going on.”

“Not every single little detail like what you told him about me!”

Mung Chung cocked his head to the side. “Then can I tell him the big detail?”

That threw Teddy for a loop. He quickly collected himself and said, “What big detail?” After he asked that, he suddenly had an idea to what Mung Chung was referring to. He felt his stomach churn uncomfortably.

“You know what I’m talking about,” Mung Chung, apparently bored, started to play with his magical club, the bangmangee.

“How’d you find –?”

“Easy. That night? When you were saying ‘Puck, puck, puck,’ over and over again, I saw that look on your face when the realisation came to you.”

Just like the way he had stared at Draco earlier, now he gawked at Mung Chung in disbelief. Puck? Oh, wait, he means “fuck”. Korean language doesn’t have an actual “f” sound. Damn. For a prankster, he’s pretty perceptive.

However, what Mung Chung said next really shocked Teddy. “I won’t tell him that, though. Dokkaebi promise. Remember, you owe me! Just make sure you protect the master of the house.” With an impish smile, Mung Chung disappeared from Teddy’s view.

“Well, I’ll be damned . . . ” Teddy let out a soft snigger that grew into a loud, relief-filled laugh. So loud, that Draco came to the door and banged on it several times.

“Quit laughing and hurry up so we won’t be late!”

“Okay, okay! I’m coming.” He quickly calmed his laughter and made himself presentable. He grabbed his coat and his bag and rushed out to where Draco was waiting with the Portkey.

This was the first day of Draco’s new Monday and Thursday seminar. It was a fairly small class; there were only about fifteen people as opposed to the usual thirty to forty students in Draco’s regular classes. However, Teddy was surprised to see Jin Sil, Max’s girlfriend, there in the class. When they met in Myeong-dong, she never mentioned that she was a student at Yonsei. Well, she did mention she was a college student just that Teddy couldn’t remember which college she attended.

Through the entire seminar, Teddy watched Jin Sil, watched how she paid attention to Draco’s lecture, and watched her take scrupulous notes in her notebook. He also noticed that there seemed to be a hint of sadness lingering about her. Soon, the session ended, and Jin Sil approached Teddy and Draco.

“Hello, again. When I signed up for this class, I wasn’t aware that you, Professor Malfoy, were the teacher. Nor was I expecting Mr. Lupin to be your assistant.”

“Yes, well, I wasn’t expecting you to be a student here! I thought Max mentioned you were a student at Sookmyung’s Women College,” Draco said.

“Oh, I am. However, this seminar sounded really interesting, so that’s why I decided to take it. I am still a primary student at Sookmyung, though.”

Teddy smiled. “Well, we’re glad to see you here. How’s Max? Maybe after one of these seminars, we should all go out for a meal again.” He gave Draco a questioning look, to which Draco nodded.

Jin Sil’s eyes lit up at the idea. “I’ll mention that to Max. I’ll let you know when we can take up that offer.” She looked at her watch and said, “I must run now. Good night, Professor and Mr. Lupin.”

She left.

Teddy turned to Draco and said, “Well, that was a pleasant surprise.”

“Yes, I must yell at Max for not telling me this.”

“Perhaps she didn’t tell Max. Or she did, but he forgot to tell us.”

“Hn. That’s probably it.” Draco packed his stuff and turned to Teddy. “Ready?”

Teddy nodded, and the two of them touched the Portkey after they went to their normal secluded spot. Their hands brushed against each other, and Teddy stared at the spot on his hand before he was jerked into that familiar sensation. When they were back in Draco’s place, Teddy remembered his conversation with Mung Chung, and it took every ounce of his power to look normal and not blush his silly head off.

Thankfully, the rest of the night passed by without a hitch.

The next few days passed as the second session of the seminar occurred. Teddy noticed that Jin Sil looked tired and depressed. She also looked as if her mind was a thousand miles away from the seminar. His thoughts were proven right when the seminar ended. Everyone packed and left except for her. While Draco reorganised his notes, Teddy went up to Jin Sil.

“Are you all right?” he asked, coming up to stand by her seat.

Jin Sil slowly looked up, tears in her eyes that she tried to sniff away. She hastily swiped at her eyes. “I’m sorry. I just . . .”

Draco came up to stand next to Teddy. Wordlessly, he just handed her a handkerchief. She accepted it and wiped her eyes on it. “I’m sorry. It’s just that last night my pet dog was put to sleep. He’d been sick the last couple weeks, and last night was his time.”

“I see,” Teddy said. “I’m sorry to hear about that. It’s hard losing a loved one, whether they are human or animals.”

Jin Sil took a deep breath before she forced a smile. She looked up at Draco. “I’m sorry, Professor, for not doing my best in class today.”

“Please don’t worry about it. In fact,” Draco walked back to his desk to grab his spare lecture notes and brought them to her, “here are tonight’s lecture notes. I know that it was hard for you tonight, and I have to admit, I’m surprised you came to class despite the way you were feeling.”

Teddy had to admit that he wasn’t expecting Draco to be this understanding or comforting. Then again, though, he wondered if Draco was thinking about the day his wife had died.

Jin Sil accepted the notes and thanked Draco profusely. She stood up and packed her stuff before remembering the handkerchief. “Thank you again, Professor.” She tried to hand the cloth back to Draco, but he just smiled and shook his head. “Keep it.”

Teddy chimed in, too, “Yeah. He probably has more of them stashed in his coat pocket. He can afford to get about twenty more as it is.”

That broke the solemn atmosphere in the room as Jin Sil sniggered, especially when she saw the dirty look Draco gave Teddy. Teddy just grinned and shrugged. “Did I speak wrongly here?”

Sighing, Draco rolled his eyes and smirked. “No, you spoke the truth.”

Thanking Draco again, Jin Sil left and the two men started to get their stuff ready to head home

That Saturday, Draco suggested they go check out the Seoul Grand Park Zoo. “I have discovered that I enjoy going to the zoos to see the animals. However, I cannot stand the stench, so if you hear me cast the air purifying spell, then you know why.”

The two of them spent the whole day at the zoo. They walked around and looked at the various different animals the zoo offered. True to his word, Draco did cast the spell more than once, but luckily nobody around them questioned the sudden shift of smells. At one point, Teddy whispered into Draco’s ear, “They are probably glad that the animal odours are not as strong.”

“Of course. Tell me anyone who would enjoy being around this animal smell all day long.”

“That’s easy. Hagrid.”

Draco scoffed. “That giant oaf is barely even human, so it makes sense why he’d be happy to be surrounded by animals every day.”

As per usual, they continued their banter all day long. They ended their day at a Korean barbecue restaurant in Itaewon called Don Valley. It was a nice clean place, and Teddy and Draco were both satisfied by the hearty meal.

Finally home, exhausted from the long day, Teddy collapsed into his bed after washing up, glad to get some sleep in his system. He looked forward to sleeping in. However, he should have known that these simple wishes were never granted for him, or at least when it came to him wanting some decent kip.

Teddy groaned in pain as he realised that he had been literally thrown out of his bed by that pint-sized troublemaker. “Mung Chung!” Teddy sat up on the floor to look at the clock on his night table. “It’s three in the morning!”

“Come. Master’s in trouble.”

“Wha–?” That woke him up immediately as he grabbed his wand. He bolted out of his room and ran down to Draco’s room. He heard the muffled screams, realising that Draco had enforced silencing charms on his door.

Without thinking, he rushed into the room, his wand in front of him. He quickly glanced around the room but didn’t see anybody but Draco on the bed. It took him a second to comprehend that Draco was tossing and turning on the bed because of a nightmare. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he quickly shook Draco. “Draco! Draco! Wake up. It’s just a nightmare!”

Teddy’s voice broke through Draco’s consciousness. Draco gasped as he woke up. It looked as if Draco was going to jump out of his bed, but Teddy grabbed him by the shoulders and firmly but gently pushed him back. “It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s just me, Teddy. You’re all right. You’re safe.” He could feel the man’s sweat-soaked pyjama top beneath his hand, and he could feel Draco shaking from the aftermath of his nightmare.

“Teddy?” Draco’s voice was hoarse.

“Yes, it’s me. You were having a nightmare.”

He watched Draco closed his eyes. “It was horrible. It was . . .”

“Shush,” Teddy put a finger against Draco’s dry lips. “We’ll talk about it later. For now, do you want water or anything?”

Draco shook his head. “Just . . . stay. Please?” He slumped back on his pillow and scrubbed his face as he took several deep breaths.

Teddy knew that he should just remain sitting on the edge, but Draco looked so shaken, that he decided to sod logic as he lay down on the bed. On his side, he pulled Draco to his chest and wrapped his arms protectively around Draco’s waist and shoulders. Teddy could feel and smell Draco’s fear. He heard the quick, staccato heart beats slowly decrease in the tempo, eventually followed by Draco’s deep breathing, indicating that the man had drifted to sleep.

Instead of falling asleep himself, Teddy lay awake for a long time. He couldn’t believe that he was in Draco’s bed, had Draco in his arms, and was watching the man sleep away next to him. With the warm body right beside him and the spicy scent lingering all around him, it took every ounce of his willpower to keep his other head from jumping up in excitement. He tried to imagine the most disgusting thing he could think of.

He thought of McGonagall naked. Thoughts of Hagrid prancing around in a hot pink evening gown made him shudder. The imagery of Flitwick in a bondage outfit did the trick as he closed his eyes so tight that his libido was clamped down tightly as well. With that, he finally fell asleep with his arms still around Draco

When he woke up the next morning, he found himself hugging a pillow, and when his eyes focused, he saw Draco on the edge of the bed, sipping some tea. Teddy pushed the blankets off of him as he sat up. After a good stretch and a yawn, he said, “Good morning.”

Draco nodded. “Want some tea?” He talked like a man who hadn’t suffered from a nightmare just several hours before.

Teddy gladly accepted the cup of tea. He drank some, revelling in the warmth and the sweetness. He looked over at Draco, who appeared normal except for having a severe case of bed hair. There was an awkward tension between them, and Teddy wanted to ask if Draco was all right, but he held his tongue, waiting for his host to say something first.

And Draco did break the silence. “Thank you for last night. I didn’t mean to trouble you in that manner.”

“It’s not a problem. Mung Chung’s the one who threw me out of bed. Literally.”

“I figured. With the silencing charm, you wouldn’t have known what was going on with me.”

Teddy took another long swallow before he continued. “Are your nightmares always this bad?”

“No.” Draco shook his head to emphasise his answer. “It’s never this bad.”

“Do you mind telling me what it was about?”

“I don’t really want to talk about it.”

“I’m aware of that. However, don’t forget that your life is in danger here, and who knows if someone’s using Legilimency on you.”

Draco snapped at Teddy, “That’s impossible. I am too skilled at Occlumency to be affected by something that trivial!”

“I’m aware of that,” said Teddy, trying to placate Draco. “However . . . ”

“It’s just a simple nightmare that went out of control. Trust me! I know when someone’s trying to use Legilimency on me, and that was not Legilimency!”

“But–”

“Beside, it was just an old nightmare. I’ve had it before. It was when I had failed my task as a Death Eater. Riddle was extremely upset with me and was casting the Cruciatus on me.”

Teddy heard the unsaid words. “Did he? Or he didn’t and you imagined it to be you?”

Draco snarled, “Oh, shut up! Don’t try to psychoanalyse me!”

“I’m serious. Did he really punish you for that incident?” Teddy asked calmly.

“I,” Draco sighed, his shoulder sagging in defeat. “He didn’t, but I . . . ”

“You were terrified he would one day, and that fear hadn’t left you despite the war being over.”

Draco just nodded, suddenly looking more like a soldier tired from the war. “Yes.”

Without a thought, Teddy put an arm around Draco and pulled the man closer to him. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“I know. But it could have been my fault if I had succeeded in that mission.” Teddy felt Draco’s head resting on his shoulder. His hold on Draco tightened as he couldn’t believe that this was the second time he had his arms around the older man. However, he reminded himself that Draco was vulnerable right now, and he had better not take advantage of that. The voice that told him that sounded suspiciously like his grandmother, so he mentally shook his head to rid himself of it.

The two of them sat like that for a while. Then they went to get some breakfast and had a quiet Sunday. The sombre atmosphere hovered over them for the rest of the day. Teddy didn’t bring up the topic of the nightmare again, and Draco didn’t mention anything about the way Teddy had held him twice to comfort him.

Despite Draco’s insistence that his nightmares were just nightmares, nothing more or less, they attacked him almost every night. The first couple of nights, Mung Chung, again in his predictable ways, tossed Teddy out of the bed. Sore and bruised from his landing on the hard floor, Teddy would make his way to Draco’s room and wake up the screaming man. For the rest of the night, Teddy held Draco, and two drifted off to sleep that way.

After that pattern continued, Teddy suggested over breakfast, “How about we try to sleep that way from the beginning?” Realising that the sentence sounded perverted, he hastily said, “With me sleeping on one side of the bed and you on the other.”

Unsurprisingly, Draco simply said, “No.”

Teddy backfired with, “Let’s just try it as a simple experiment.”

“Really now? I think you’re overreacting over a simple nightmare.”

Scowling, Teddy bit off a piece of his scone. He chewed and swallowed the delicious pastry Shinny had baked. “You know this is not just a simple bloody nightmare. This has almost been a daily occurrence, and whether you want to admit it or not, it’s taking a toll on you!”

Draco glared back at Teddy’s scowling face. “I will not be in an experiment with you! Especially something so half-baked that it’s the most preposterous thing ever.”

For the first time since he’d been living with Draco, after all the time he’d been insulted by him, Teddy grew furious with the man for being so stubborn. He scooted back in his seat. “Fine! See if I care if you keel over in exhaustion or something!”

He stomped back to his room, sat down hard on his own bed, and fumed to himself. Angrily, he punched his pillow. What an infuriating and stubborn man! I know the idea’s an uncomfortable one, but since his nightmares go away when I am there, it’s logical to think it might work if we slept together from the beginning!

Teddy punched his pillow several more times before he decided to get ready to go to Yonsei University. The rest of the day passed, and the atmosphere between the two men was icy and stormy. Even Draco’s students must have noticed the tension between the two men since none of them participated in the classroom discussion.

Dinner went by with both men giving each other the silent treatment. When it was time for bed, they went to their respective beds. Teddy lay there, staring at the ceiling, too angry to fall asleep immediately as he usually did. He counted hippogriffs, crups, centaurs, and other magical creatures before he finally drifted off into an uneasy sleep. Later, unsurprisingly, he woke up by landing on the floor face first. Wordlessly, he arrived in Draco’s room and shook him to wake him from whatever imaginary hell that encompassed his brain.

Draco sat up, gasping, and he looked at Teddy with a layer of sweat covering his face. “Teddy?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

Draco scooted over, and Teddy automatically crawled into the bed. With the blankets covering both of them, the two slept with no contact with each other. Nevertheless, the next morning came, and Teddy stirred awake and saw that he had embraced Draco sometime during the night, with Draco embracing him back.

Quietly, Teddy watched the sleeping man. He studied Draco’s face, a face that wasn’t frowning or smirking back at him. He looked at the thin lips that liked to spout insults and witty sarcasm. His gaze travelled upward to where he could see the almost invisible eyebrows and eyelashes. When his face is not wrinkled up in his usual tense manner, he actually is a very handsome man. I think I’d rather see him in his usual disgruntled expression. Suits his personality to the core. However, his sleeping face is not bad either. I wonder how he’ll look when he’s in the throes of passion.

Grasping his last thought, he quickly chucked that image out of his head. Or at least he tried. He found himself, to his horror, feeling the familiar stirrings in his groin, and he again tried to think of the most revolting images to quell his arousal. He exhaled deeply when he felt that he was safe from his libido. That was when Draco woke up.

“Good morning. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Draco yawned before answering. “It’s time to start the day. No need to apologise.”

Teddy sighed. “Listen, about that idea . . . ”

“Let’s try that tonight.”

Not expecting an easy acceptance, he stared owlishly at Draco. “What?”

Draco frowned at him. “What? It was your idea. I’m only agreeing to it because quite frankly, I want to see if it works as well. These nightmares are quite annoying, if you ask me.”

“Fine, then. Tonight.” Teddy let go of his hold on Draco and went back to his room to shower and to wank off to his overactive imagination.

That night, Teddy and Draco slept next to each other. Each night, they would be on their own side of the large bed. In the morning, they woke up in each other arms. The two of them never mentioned it as the pattern repeated day to day. However, the nightmares did lessen in their attacks. Instead of crowing like a crazed winner, he only smiled while Draco slept peacefully.

One Thursday night, after the two came back from the seminar and had dinner, Draco announced, “Would you have any problems with us returning to England, tomorrow after classes end, to spend the weekend there?”

The two were in the sitting room, on the same couch within close proximity of each other. Teddy read a book while Draco studied his notes to continue his search for the Jiyu. Teddy set his book on the table and shifted to look at Draco.

“No, I don’t. Are you planning something?”

“More or less. It’s Scorpius’ birthday on Saturday. I had planned a small gathering for him to celebrate. We’ll come back Sunday night.”

“Works for me. I could Apparate back to Grandmother’s place, and then I’ll catch up with her in the morning, and I’ll go see Harry in the afternoon.”

“You’re more than welcome to come to the party.”

“Sure. I wouldn’t mind wishing Scorpius a ‘happy birthday’.”

Draco nodded. “Then that’s settled.” With that, Draco went back to his notes, and Teddy picked up his book and continued his readings.

Later, Teddy packed up all the souvenirs for his family and friends back home. After he shrank them and put them away neatly, he readied for bed and slept in Draco’s room.

Classes passed as normal, almost. For once Draco, who liked to assign a decent amount of homework over the weekend, declared to each of his classes that there wasn’t any. His students didn’t cheer out loud because they respected Draco as their professor, but Teddy did see bright grins and happiness in their eyes.

Both Teddy and Draco had brought the possessions they were going to take back with them to England, so once they locked up the classroom, they went to a secluded place on campus to use the Portkey that would take them directly to Malfoy Manor. Once there, Teddy promised that he’d come to the party. However, he had to ask Draco one thing.

“You will let me know if you have any nightmares, right?”

“Yes. And if I don’t, we can come to the conclusion that they are some how associated with me being in South Korea.”

“Right.” Teddy nodded. “Then, good night. See you tomorrow.”

“Good night.”

Teddy Apparated to his grandmother’s place, where she was waiting there with tea and biscuits. After he hugged and kissed his grandmother, he sat down on the couch. The same couch he had jumped up and down on as a child. He took a sip of Andromeda’s warm cuppa.

“Thanks, Gram. I missed your cuppas.”

“Not a problem, dear Teddy.” She sat elegantly on the couch, her hand fingering the bracelet her deceased husband had given her many years prior.

Even though Teddy studied his grandmother’s appearance and profile for just the briefest of seconds, he couldn’t help but smile at the realisation that struck him. He could see Draco’s pureblood haughtiness in her. Not that she acted hostile towards anyone, but rather Teddy realised just how similar the two of them were. His grandmother had been raised by a pureblood family much like Draco had been, so the two of them shared the same wit and acerbic sense of humour. Also, even though she’d been disowned by the Black family, over the years her upbringing never really left her. She always looked stylish and graceful. Like right now, the way she sat, her back straight and poised, reminded him of Draco.

“What’s so amusing?”

His grandmother’s voice cut through his thoughts. “Nothing, Gram.”

Andromeda looked over him before she smiled softly. “You’re in love.”

At that moment, Teddy had been drinking his tea, and he nearly spat out his tea in surprise. Recovering his dignity, he said, “Uh, what’s that supposed to mean, Gram?”

She gave him an insulted look. “Nothing. It’s just that the last time I saw such a love-struck face like that was on your mother.”

“Really?”

“Yes, and you have that same look she did. And I know the one you are thinking dearest of is not Victoire. You’ve been with her for years, and I have never once seen that look on your face until now.”

“Oh . . . ” Teddy trailed off, suddenly feeling queasy in his stomach as he wondered how his grandmother would take the news that he was in love with her nephew.

“It’s Draco, isn’t it?”

Teddy, unable to look at his grandmother, just nodded and held his breath for the expected screams of bloody murder.

However, when his grandmother didn’t say anything, Teddy took the risk and looked up at her. Instead of seeing anger, disgust, or anything of an antagonistic nature, he saw understanding, love, and acceptance on her face. He also smelled those emotions from her. “Gram?”

“We don’t always choose who we love. We find love in the most unexpected place. Your mother found it in your father. I found mine with your grandfather, despite my family’s view on Muggles. Therefore, who am I to judge who you love, Teddy?” She smirked at him. “Surely your expectation of me wasn’t that low, was it? You know I’d accept you for who you are whether you are like the colour green or gay.”

“Gram . . . ”

Again, she gave him an affronted look. “I love you, Teddy Remus Lupin. You’re my one and only grandson, whom I have raised as a son, so do not ever think again that I will spurn you for who you love and for who you are. If anything, I will spurn you for thinking so lowly of me!”

Teddy, feeling guilty, reached over and hugged Andromeda with all the love he felt for her. “Thanks, Gram.”

They separated, and Andromeda picked up her cup of tea. “You’re welcome. Now finish up your tea. We’ll have breakfast tomorrow.”

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast with Andromeda, he went and unpacked his lot of souvenirs.

He gave Andromeda her gift — a gorgeous celadon vase — which she loved, telling him that the green colour of the celadon was really beautiful. He spent the morning telling her about his adventures in Korea and how he liked it. They also talked briefly about his love for Draco, and Andromeda just said to take his time with this new opening instead of rushing head first into it. Teddy decided not to mention the nightmare problems and how they’d been sleeping together.

After that, he sent his friends and family’s gifts by the owl post. He decided to take the rest of the gifts with him when he went to Harry’s place. His plan was to go visit Harry, catch up on stuff, and then after the party at Draco’s place, come back to Harry’s and spend the night there before he met up with Draco on Sunday night.

When Teddy Flooed into 12, Grimmauld Place, he saw Harry with Neville. However, he was surprised to see Ginny along with James, Albus Severus, and Lily. They all greeted him warmly; apparently, they already knew that he was going to be in the country, thanks to Draco and Andromeda telling them in advance.

After Teddy hugged them, shook hands, and did all the greetings, every one of them sat around the table, with tea of course, and talked for the next hour. Teddy gave everyone their respective gifts, for which they all thanked him delightfully, each of them liking their gifts.

After the gifts, they all talked for another hour before the group began to disperse, each going their own ways.

Soon, Teddy and Harry were the only ones left. Harry suggested that they go to the sitting room, where they could talk more comfortably. They sat, and Harry’s face took on a serious expression.

“I have news regarding Kim.”

Teddy, almost forgetting his request to Harry, looked up sharply in surprise. He nodded towards Harry to continue.

“I dug around through the old Ministry files and found that one minor Death Eater, one who was alive, was present during Kim’s torture session, the final one before the man was killed. The former Death Eater, who had hidden himself out in the most northern part of the Isle, was found and brought here for questionings. We offered to let him go back to his exile if he would tell us what he knew about Kim.”

“He agreed to those conditions, didn’t he?”

“Yes. He allowed us to extract his memories of the torture into a Pensieve.” Harry turned slightly green when he said that.

“Must’ve been some ugly sights.”

“Terribly so. To spare any details, Kim was tortured about the location of something to which he responded with an ‘I don’t know’ over and over again. Soon, though he started to shout and scream in Korean, which our translators said were just Korean curses and gibberish.”

“But?”

“But then in Japanese, he had whispered the word ‘wife’, and then he said a name. Kang Soon Jung, we assume that’s his wife’s name.”

Teddy sat up, astonished by the news. “But all the records say that he was single and that he had no family!”

“Perhaps, but I’m just telling you what I found out.”

“Did he say anything else?”

“That was the last thing he said before he died.”

Teddy’s mind worked overtime as he tried to piece the new information together from what he knew of the situation, which really wasn’t much. So based on this, that means whoever is after Draco is from the man’s family, maybe the wife or something. But how would the wife know that about Draco? Or know of her husband’s death and who caused it?

“Thanks, Harry. This revelation gives me more questions than answers, but it will be something to work with. At least now I know that someone has a rather legitimate reason to go after Draco.”

“That’s the most likely of possibilities.” Harry paused before he went on. “Just what is Malfoy’s reason to be in South Korea? Is he looking for whatever Riddle was asking for from Kim?”

“Something like that.”

“You can’t really say?”

Teddy nodded.

“I won’t push you. Just let me know if you need back up for help.”

Teddy reached over and hugged Harry gratefully. “Thank you, Harry.”

Harry’s arm embraced him and tightened slightly. “Just be careful. Wouldn’t want to explain to Andromeda why her grandson’s dead in a foreign country.”

Teddy laughed as they let go of each other.

“So what’s new with you, Teddy?”

He hesitated to tell Harry about what he and Andromeda discussed earlier about his love. But then he decided to tell Harry. After all, at least Harry would not flip out on him for being gay. “I think I found the . . . person.”

“What person?”

“ThepersonIlove,” Teddy said quickly, blushing at the same time.

“What? Speak clearly!”

Teddy shifted uncomfortably and whispered. “The person I love.”

“Oh? Is that all? Your nose finally found the one it liked?”

“You make my nose sound like it is its own entity.” Teddy teasingly scowled.

“It is.”

“Hn.” Teddy looked off to the side, wondering how he was going to tell Harry that it was Draco that his nose fell for, more or less.

“It’s Malfoy.” It wasn’t a question, and Harry’s face remained stoic and unreadable when he said this.

Teddy gawked at his godfather. “Blimey! What’s up with you and Gram? Are you two suddenly delving into Divination? Or am I that obvious?”

“Considering how your grandmother and I both agree that Divination is a rather bollocks-filled subject, I would think it’s the second reason. Although coming to that conclusion is really an easy one since who else could you have spent that much time with in the last month and a half?”

“Point proven.”

“Well, you aren’t with him officially, right?” Teddy shook his head. “If you two do get together, you have my approval.”

Teddy wondered just how many times this weekend he was going to look like a gaping fish. “Harry . . . ”

“I just want you to be happy. You’re really a great guy, and you deserve your share of happiness.”

All words escaped Teddy as he just hugged Harry again and let go after a second.

“Now, you will come to the Burrow for Christmas Eve supper? Bring Malfoy if you can.”

“Harry, Christmas isn’t for another month.”

“Doesn’t hurt to plan ahead.”

Teddy rolled his eyes. “Yes, I’ll come and drag Draco along if he’s willing.”

Harry grinned; his green eyes sparkled with pleasure. “Great. Now let’s talk about the latest Quidditch results.”

Teddy soon readied himself for the party. He changed into his semi-formal dress robes, changed his hair colour into light brown, without the blue and green streaks, and ensured that nothing was out of order as he looked himself over in the mirror. His smile lit up his face. He grabbed Scorpius’ gift and Apparated to the front of Malfoy Manor. Walking up the path to the entrance, he went through the door that opened automatically, and he was greeted by a loud blast of music.

As his eardrums recovered from the sudden increase in the decibel level, he walked around and found Scorpius with Albus Severus in the crowd. He knew Scorpius through Albus Severus. Over the years, he and Scorpius had talked and become friends with each other as the latter came to visit 12, Grimmauld Place quite often during the school holidays. He felt a bit weird that he was technically in love with Scorpius’ father, but he decided to shove that thought aside.

“Scorpius,” said Teddy, handing him the gift. “Happy Birthday.”

“Thanks, Teddy! Glad you could come!” Scorpius accepted the gift, two tickets for a three-day trip to a ski resort in South Korea for when he and Albus Severus came to visit Draco that winter.

“Brilliant! I can’t wait until we get there! Al and I would love to go have fun at a ski resort!”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“Go and get yourself some food and a drink! Dance and talk! Mingle around!”

Teddy laughed and did that for a while, but soon he decided to get away from the crowd of youngsters. Even though he really wasn’t that much older than the guests here, he felt too old for them as he decided to go someplace a bit quieter in the Manor. He found solace in the sitting room where he sat down on a chair and stretched out his muscles. Hearing someone coming up behind him, he looked and saw it was Draco.

Smiling at him, Teddy said, “This is a great ‘small gathering’ you put together for Scorpius.”

“Of course. He’s a Malfoy. Malfoys always get the best stuff.”

Teddy laughed at the haughtiness in Draco’s voice. “You and Gram both sound the same when you two are being sarcastic.”

“It’s the pureblood in us.” Draco sat down in the chair across from Teddy. “Why aren’t you out partying more? I thought you would enjoy this kind of event.”

“Sure! When I am around people my age!”

Draco chuckled. “I see you what you mean. Even though you’re not that much older, the age gap still exists.” He snapped his fingers, and a house elf popped out of nowhere and gave them two glasses of brandy before it disappeared.

“Thanks.” He held his glass out and clinked it against Draco’s. “Cheers.”

“Cheers.”

The two of them drank in companionable silence. Suddenly, Teddy remembered something very important.

“Did you have any nightmares last night?” Teddy studied Draco’s pale face, noticing that he looked a bit on the tired side.

Draco didn’t answer.

“You did, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” Draco sighed. “I did.”

“I have news for you, by the way, about Kim.”

“Oh?”

Teddy told Draco everything that Harry had told him earlier. Draco listened closely and he looked at his glass of brandy with a thoughtful expression on his face.

A few minutes passed before Draco said, “It makes sense, actually. As a former Death Eater myself, I can see why I’d be a target if the wife existed.”

“But you’re not the one who killed that man!”

“It doesn’t matter. I still served the man who killed the poor woman’s husband. I took on Kim’s goals of trying to find the Jiyu. If the wife still lives and knows about all this, then it makes sense for her to try to get revenge. I’m not going to waste my time on trying to find Ms. Kang. For all I know, she most likely changed her name because she doesn’t want to be found.”

“But what if she really was the one behind the attacks, and maybe even these nightmares!”

“We have no proof that these nightmares are caused by a third party.”

Teddy sighed. “So you’re not interested in trying to find the person who probably wants you dead?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Sounds like it.”

“Look, so far nothing has happened since you came. Let’s just end it at the fact that you must be doing your job right, and because of that, nothing out of the ordinary has happened.”

“But the nightmares –”

“Stop going on about the nightmares. You’re sounding like a broken wireless!”

“I’m just worried.”

“Oh, for Merlin’s sake! If you’re that worried, then spend the night here. At least that keeps those annoyances at bay, along with you.”

Teddy couldn’t help but feel excited at Draco’s proposal, never mind that he’d been insulted. As casually as he could, he said, “Fine.”

The party eventually wound down, and Albus Severus and Scorpius decided to go to London to continue the party at a popular club. They wished Draco and Teddy good night and promised to come back home in the morning. Scorpius promised to have breakfast with his father, and the two left.

Teddy and Draco both retired to bed in the master bedroom. They fell asleep with their arms around each other, and Teddy couldn’t help but relish in the situation. Even though it was only a day, Teddy had missed the comforting arms around him. He tucked Draco’s head under his chin and snoozed away in the dark night.

As predicted, Draco didn’t have any nightmares, and they woke up and got ready for the new day. When the two of them walked down to the dining room, they saw Scorpius, looking perky for someone who had partied all night, drinking coffee, and reading the paper.

“Must have had a fun night,” Teddy said to Scorpius.

“Indeed, I did!”

“Ah, to be young again,” Teddy laughed as he mussed up Scorpius’ hair. He then turned to Draco. “I’m going to Harry’s place. I’ll come back this evening.”

“All right,” Draco said, sitting down across from his son. “Five o’clock.”

“Okay. Later, Scorpius!” Teddy waved to the boy, knowing that Scorpius would be asleep after breakfast. Teddy walked outside to the ward-free zone and Apparated to 12, Grimmauld Place where Harry and Neville were having breakfast together. Teddy joined them, digging hungrily into his food.

“How was the party?” Harry asked.

“Oh, it was fine. Loud, really.”

Neville laughed. “I’m sure. These youngsters like to have their music loud. Reminds me of those balls at Hogwarts.”

“Is Albus Severus sleeping?”

Harry nodded. “Yep. He walked in, grunted to us about sleeping all day.”

“Scorpius held out better than him. He’s at least having breakfast with his father.”

“Maybe I should have Scorpius teach Albus Severus to do that as well.”

All three of them laughed as they continued their breakfast. Afterwards, Harry and Neville cleaned up while Teddy decided to go pack his stuff, so he could head to over to visit Gram one more time before he returned to South Korea. However, while packing, there was a knock on the door. Thinking it was Harry, he opened the door and froze when he saw Victoire standing right there in the doorway.

Victoire gave him a nervous smile. “May I come in?”

Teddy stepped aside, and Victoire went past him and sat on the bed. She fingered the edge of the blanket. Teddy sat down next to her and the two sat in silence for a while.

It was Victoire who broke the silence. “How have you been doing?”

“Not bad, honestly. You?”

“All right, I suppose.” Teddy felt Victoire moving on the bed, and he looked over at her. “I wanted to apologise for the way I acted the last time we met.”

“Victoire –”

“Please.” She held up a hand. “I’m glad you suggested we spend some time apart, because after we were separated, I had a lot of time to think about our relationship. I thought back to all the times we were together, and I realised that even though we were together, we weren’t really together. At the beginning, there was some passion between us, but it fizzled out over the years. Soon, it felt like we were more best friends than a couple.

“And that is one thing I do not want to give up. I do not want to give up our friendship. You will always be one of my closest friends.”

“I don’t want to give that up, either. I am only sorry that I can’t . . . ”

“Love me?”

Teddy nodded, his voice working against him.

“It’s okay. I realise that some things are not meant to be. You don’t need to apologise. If anything, I should apologise for being a drama queen about it.”

Teddy smiled at her and gave her a big hug. “Thank you.”

Victoire hugged him back, and the two just sat there like that for a long time before they separated and caught up on stuff. Teddy gave her his gift — a Korean tea set. He watched the way her eyes lit up at the pretty set. She gave him another hug and thanked him profusely.

For the next hour or so, they talked about their current lives. She mentioned that she was seeing Anthony Chang. Teddy told her about him being gay and of his love towards Draco.

“Really? Well, if you can get through him, then you deserve him since he’s a bit of a pain from what I understand.”

Throwing his head back, Teddy laughed and Victoire laughed with him.

After his pleasant meeting with Victoire, Teddy said his farewells to her, Harry, and Neville. Then he went back to Andromeda’s place and they ate lunch together. It was there Andromeda gave him a huge container of mince pies. “Enjoy them with Draco.”

“Thanks, Gram! I will. You know your mince pies are the best!”

Teddy kept her company all afternoon. When it was time for him to go to Malfoy Manor, she hugged and kissed him.

“Good luck. Those who are descendants of the Black family will be stubborn, but if anyone can win him over, you can.”

“Gram!”

“I’m just speaking the truth, dear Teddy, that’s all. Now do take care and keep in touch. I will see you at Christmas Eve, yes?”

“Yes, Gram. Thanks for everything.” Teddy kissed his grandmother on the cheek, and then he left with his stuff.

At Malfoy Manor, Draco and Teddy said their goodbyes to Scorpius. The two of them touched the Portkey, Teddy’s hand covering Draco’s, and they arrived back at Draco’s place in South Korea.

Shinny welcomed them back and so did Mung Chung, who proceeded to steal several of the mince pies before doing his disappearing act.

“That no good bi-bi! At least let Master have some first!” Shinny grumbled out loud as she gathered their things and put them away. “I’ll have dinner ready for Masters soon.

Teddy looked around the familiar place and grinned. “Good to be back.”

“Growing fond of this place?”

Only because you’re here, he thought. “Yes.”

“So am I. It seems cosier than the Manor in some ways.”

“Even though it’s huge for one person?”

“It’s still smaller than the Manor.”

“True.”

“Let’s unpack and have some dinner.”

“All right.”

After a delicious meal with mince pies, which Draco complimented, Draco and Teddy settled for a game of chess. While they tried to outwit each other in the game, they talked about the upcoming week and what they should plan. The evening passed in a peaceful manner, and Teddy couldn’t help but feel really happy.

He was even happier when they crawled into Draco’s bed, snuggled into each other under the blanket, and slept together. Teddy nuzzled his nose in Draco’s hair, and he inhaled the familiar scent that made him feel complete with himself. Sighing in contentment, he mumbled, “Good night.”

Draco responded just as softly. “Good night.”

“Max invited us to go to a no rae bang tomorrow night.”

“A what?” Teddy gave Draco a perplexed look.

“No rae bang. It’s like karaoke, only you sing in small, private rooms instead of out in front of everyone at a bar.”

“Er, why?” Teddy didn’t really sing well, and he certainly wasn’t going to improve by the following night.

“It’s a cultural thing. Koreans like to go singing there, especially after they have a few drinks.”

“Well, I wouldn’t mind experiencing it.”

“I’ll tell him we’ll come.”

The next night, Teddy and Draco met up with Max and Jin Sil for some dinner first. They all opted to go to an Italian place called Sortino’s in Itaewon. Surrounded by the scent of tomatoes, basil, garlic, and other herbs and spices, they ordered two different pizzas and two pasta dishes to share with each other. They also shared an expensive bottle of wine that Draco decided to throw in.

It was when they were nearly finished eating that Jin Sil brought out the handkerchief. “Here, I wanted to return this to you.”

Teddy looked at it in surprise. He had forgotten about that piece of cloth. Apparently so had Draco, because his eyebrows went up as he accepted it. “Oh, you didn’t need to give it back.”

Jin Sil smiled. “I wanted to.”

Draco just nodded. “Okay.”

Soon they forgot about the handkerchief. When they went to a no rae bang, they all told Teddy to sing first, but Teddy insisted that they go first so he could see how it really worked.

Max volunteered to go first and he chose to sing The Village People’s “Macho Man”. It took every ounce of strength for Teddy to not turn Max’s microphone off. Teddy had never heard such a horrible rendition of that song in his life. Luckily, Jin Sil sang better as she chose to sing a song by some group called “Dong Bang Shin Gi”. She sang a pretty ballad-type song called “Love in the Ice”. She had a pretty nice voice and could carry a tune way better than Max. Draco surprised Teddy the most by choosing to sing Deep Purple’s “Highway Star”. Teddy didn’t think Draco knew that type of song!

Finally, it was Teddy’s turn, and after he flipped through the book, he decided to sing Queen’s “I Was Born to Love You”. He sang off-key, and his timing wasn’t in tune with the song, but he tried! When he finished, they all clapped for him, Max and Jin Sil cheering. Teddy blushed, but he started to get into the groove of things. He discovered that a lot of people who sang here weren’t good, so it didn’t matter if he sang horribly himself. In fact, he came to the conclusion that Max sang worse than him, but Max didn’t care. He just continued to make noises on that microphone and so did Teddy.

The entire evening turned into a fun one, and when Teddy and Draco were in bed that night, that was when he realised something very crucial.

“I want to try something tonight,” was the first thing Teddy said when they woke up.

Draco yawned and gave Teddy a sleepy look. “Try what?”

“Let’s sleep separately.”

Teddy, whose arms were still around him, felt Draco stiffen. In a cold voice, he said, “Fine.”

“No, let me explain. Those nightmares? Remember when it started to frequently attack you? Think about what happened before the nightmares started.”

“I am not following you.”

“There’s a connection between what happened last night and what happened before the nightmares started.”

Teddy watched Draco’s face. He watched as comprehension dawned on Draco. “The handkerchief.”

“Yes,” Teddy said, “the handkerchief.”

“Jin Sil is somehow a part of it. Maybe even Max. Somehow the handkerchief, because it was originally mine, was used against me. I’m positive the ancient arts of Shamanism were used to connect myself with it, and that’s how the nightmares were caused. Because its roots are Shamanistic in nature, that’s why it didn’t feel like someone was using Legilimency on me.”

“Well, that makes a lot of sense, but when I sniffed her out upon our first meeting, she didn’t feel like a threat. She still doesn’t, come to think of it.”

“Really?” Draco looked at Teddy thoughtfully. “Perhaps she has something that tampers your sense of smell when you’re around her.”

“That’s a possibility,” Teddy said slowly, the idea digesting into him. “Kind of like in that Muggle World War Two, how scientists on the Allied side came up with a chemical that altered and affected the dog’s sense of smell temporarily. Which proved to be useful when the Resistance groups would help smuggle and hide those who were being persecuted by the enemies.”

Draco threw his head back and rolled his eyes. “That necklace! Of course!”

“The one with a pouch?”

“Yes! She must have something in there to interfere with your sense of smell!”

Teddy snorted. “That would explain her strange choice in jewellery”

The two stayed silence as they thought about these new bits of information.

“Should we confront her about it?” Teddy asked while he absent-mindedly stroked Draco’s hair.

“We have no irrefutable proof to do that with.”

“True.”

“Let’s just try out your theory tonight and see what happens.”

They did that. For the first time in weeks, they slept in their own respective beds. Teddy felt empty as he climbed into his neglected bed. With the blankets over him, his head on the soft pillows, he couldn’t sleep. He stared up at the ceiling, waiting for the anticipated crash landing on the floor from Mung Chung. The night crawled away, though, with no signs of the dokkaebi. Finally, Teddy fell asleep and woke up tired the next morning. Upon waking up, he rushed to Draco’s room. He entered and saw Draco already sitting on the bed.

“Sleep well?”

“I didn’t have any nightmares.”

Teddy noticed that Draco avoided his question. “But did you sleep well?”

“No,” Draco scowled. “I didn’t.”

Teddy couldn’t help but smile a bit at that. “Why?”

Draco gave Teddy a tight-lipped look before he sullenly said, “You weren’t there.”

Teddy’s smile widen at that answer. “Me, too.” He walked over and knelt in front of Draco. With courage he didn’t know existed in him, he reached up and slowly and hesitantly cupped Draco’s face in his hands, feeling the scratchy stubble on his cheeks.

He heard Draco’s intake of breath, but he didn’t move. He stayed like that, and so did Draco. In a strangled voice, so uncharacteristic of him, Draco said, “This is probably not a good idea.”

“I know.” Teddy sighed, still looking straight into Draco’s face. He saw the grey eyes darken, and he could smell something different from Draco. Something that smelled like a combination of nervousness and something feral, lusty, and needy.

“But it feels right. So right,” Draco whispered.

Teddy nodded as he slowly leaned upwards, his face inching closer to Draco’s. He stopped when there were only a few centimetres separating them. He could feel the invisible energy crackling between them. Throwing caution to the wind, he moved to close the gap between them.

But then a loud noise banged outside the door. Teddy let go of Draco and fell back hard on his bum. Draco remained sitting on the bed, looking dazed, but then he came to his senses and yelled, “Mung Chung! You better not break anything out there!”

Teddy stood up, rubbing his sore bottom. “Ouch! Darn that dokkaebi!”

Draco just smirked at Teddy. “We’ll be late. Let’s get ready.”

The rest of the day passed as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened between them. No words were exchanged that night as they went back to their previous sleeping arrangements where Draco ended up in Teddy’s arms. The next few days passed without any mention of the kiss that almost took place.

They also pretended that nothing had been discovered about Jin Sil and Max. Or at least just with Jin Sil. Both of them decided to not give off any clues that would warn Jin Sil about them suspecting her. Luckily, nothing strange happened as November came to a chilly end.

December 2024

“Bloody hell!”

Teddy had just walked inside the sitting room to see Draco violently tossing a pen on the table as he slumped against the couch. He watched Draco take off his glasses. “You all right?”

“Yes — no, not really. This riddle is driving me mad!” Draco gestured towards the yellowed paper in its original ancient writings and the other paper that had the translation in modern Korean and English. Then there was the notebook, a rather fat notebook filled with notes Draco took on the riddle.

Teddy came and sat down on the couch. He reached for the translated version and read the familiar and mystifying riddle:

In between two warring states of power,
Divided by a common legacy,
On a rocky spire, deep within a cave,
There lies the remnant of the Ancient Past.

From the clear waters in its hidden depths
To the origins of the mighty world,
The souls of the magic come into place,
The round pedestal unites and divides.

“Tell me what you have come up with so far,” Teddy requested.

“I’ve been thinking that the location is somewhere in the middle of the Korean peninsula. The ‘two warring states of power’ could be between North and South Korea. I know the Jiyu’s in a cave somewhere. The first line of the second quatrain makes me believe that the Han River, which flows in both North and South Korea, has something to do it.”

Teddy nodded, agreeing with what Draco said. “What about the last two lines? What does magic have to do with anything?”

“Remember, the Heavenly People had supernatural powers, which can also be interpreted as ‘magic’. And the round pedestal is what the vial is laid upon.”

Teddy, who had been learning how to read and write Korean slowly, looked at the modern Korean version. He frowned as he read the Korean word for “magic” and remembered something. “Isn’t there another word for ‘magic’ in Korean?”

“There is more than one word for it.”

“So ‘mabup’ is another word for it? As well as ‘masul’?”

Draco nodded impatiently. “Yes, you are aware that synonyms are applicable to languages other than English . . . ”

“Draco?” Teddy cocked his head at the way Draco had trailed off. He watched Draco’s frown deepened. “Did you just think of something?”

“Merlin’s sake, Teddy! You’re a genius!” At that moment, Draco got up and ran out the room and quickly returned with a map of Korea. He slammed the map down on the table, bowing his head as he looked for whatever he was searching for.

“Er, Dra–?”

“Shut up and give me a minute!”

Teddy did as he was ordered. Considering this was the most animated he had seen Draco as of yet, he certainly didn’t want to interrupt the man’s dedicated work ethics.

Thankfully, the wait wasn’t long. Soon, Teddy looked at the map and looked at where Draco had circled a small island called Masul in red ink. He gave Draco a questioning look. “I assume that’s the location of the Jiyu?”

“Yes!” He turned to look at Teddy with a smile. “This calls for a celebration! And it’s all thanks to you!” Quick as a lightning, Draco leaned over and planted a kiss on Teddy’s mouth. Teddy, despite being surprised by the sudden action, swiftly kissed Draco back as his Auror’s reflexes came alive. The kiss was hot and filled with passion. Teddy’s tongue reached out and swiped Draco’s lips, and when Teddy felt Draco’s mouth opened in silent permission, he took the plunge and explored the new, sweet territory with gusto.

It wasn’t long before the two broke apart, gasping to get much-needed oxygen into their systems. Teddy looked at Draco’s flushed appearance, the man’s usual pale cheeks were stained pink, and those thin lips thoroughly kiss-swollen. Without a mirror, Teddy knew that he probably reflected Draco’s exterior image.

When Teddy felt like he could speak again, he swallowed hard and said, “That was — just, wow. I’m not complaining, but let’s hold off the celebration until we find that thing.”

“Right.” Draco pointed at the map, looking as if he hadn’t just snogged Teddy just now. “Masul-do, that has to be it. It’s a small island, which is the ’round pedestal’. The ‘clear water’ symbolises the ocean that surrounds it. It really is just a huge pile of rock, a ‘rocky spire’, and it’s in between South Korea and Japan, the ‘two warring states of power’. Korea and Japan are always at each other throats about something because of their long history with each other. A couple of decades ago, they even fought over the ownership of this particular island.”

“Anybody –?”

“Don’t you mean Dok-do?”

Teddy and Draco look up at the uninvited dokkaebi. Both of them echoed, “Dok-do?”

“Yes, Dok-do, hello! That’s the island that’s been fought over for centuries between Japan and Korea!”

Teddy and Draco exchanged a confused look before they stared at Mung Chung blankly. Mung Chung scowled at them and said, “Never mind! You guys are being babo!” He disappeared out of sight.

“He just insulted us by calling us ‘stupid’. I think I will seriously think of getting a dokkaebi exorcist,” Draco muttered.

Teddy just sniggered. “Forget about him. So does anybody live on this island?”

“No. It’s a really tiny island, and all there is on that is a single cave.”

“But then what if someone already went into the cave and grabbed the vial?”

“Oh, it’s there. Don’t worry.” Draco pulled out a normal looking rock and handed it to Teddy. “This rock looks like an ordinary rock, but it’s not. You see the inscriptions carved there? It matches those characters used in the ancient writings. Apparently you put this rock back in its spot, and it will unlock the inner cavern that leads to the vial.”

“No kidding. This is some fancy stuff, even if it’s all misleading.”

“Let’s go this weekend. I would say let’s go now, but I think it’d be wise to make more plans.”

“Agreed. Besides, we’ll have more time to go on this mission then instead of going after your classes.” Teddy looked over at Draco. He could see tension and excitement in Draco’s body language. “Also, I was thinking we should call for backup.”

Teddy received a glare. “No.”

“But what if Jin Sil –”

“No backup. It will just be you and me. Or would you rather have me go by myself?” Draco smirked.

Teddy let out an exasperated groan. “Fine, no backup. You have my word.”

It felt like the weekend would never come. Time not only crawled on its arse, but Teddy swore that time even stopped more than once. He could not believe he was looking forward to going to Masul-do on Saturday. It was ironic how he was jumpy and dying from impatience, whereas Draco looked calm and collected as usual except for the slight hint of tension in his jaw.

Fortunately, though, Saturday did come, and Teddy made sure that he had all his equipment, just in case. He felt uneasy about going there without backup, but since Draco had threatened to go by himself, that made him think twice. However, his gut instinct warned him to be prepared for anything that could happen there.

Soon it was time to go. Teddy and Draco decided to Apparate directly to the island.

“Ready?” Draco asked.

“Ready,” Teddy confirmed. Simultaneously, they Apparated to Masul-do.

Teddy appeared on the beach, and he heard the waves breaking against the rocks with a deafening crash. He looked around his surroundings. The island really was a small one. A tall volcanic mountain was situated on the middle of the island. At its base, he could see a small opening. Pointing at it, he turned to Draco. “Is that it?”

“Very astute. Do see any other caves around here?” Despite the barb, it lacked his usual biting tone.

Teddy just grinned. “Well, let’s go!”

They walked across the beach and climbed up a small slope before the path straightened out again. It didn’t take long before they reached the entrance of the cave and entered it. Teddy was surprised to see that this particular cave wasn’t dark. Through numerous cracks and openings, the sunlight entered the cave, brightening it. As they went further inside, the prehistoric paintings and carvings on the walls caught his eyes. Soon they reached a dead end.

Teddy looked at the vast wall in front of him. Unlike the other walls, this had nothing decorative on it; it was a plain grey wall. However, from the corner of his eyes, he saw Draco taking out the rock, and that was when the wall changed slightly. In the dead centre, the wall sunk inwards and made an indentation the size of the rock in Draco’s hand. They looked at each other. Teddy nodded, and Draco put the rock into the slot.

At first nothing happened. Teddy stood still, waiting. Suddenly, a loud noise snapped through the cave. An intricate and elaborate design of pictograms appeared on the wall as it glowed briefly. Then without warning, the wall simply disappeared.

Well that was pretty anti-climatic! Teddy kept the thought to himself as he followed Draco inside the inner grotto. Unlike the outer part, the new area was dark. Luckily, though, there were two torches already lit hanging at the entrance. Teddy and Draco each grabbed one. Wordlessly, they walked deeper and deeper inside.

After five minutes of walking, Teddy saw a glint of light. He heard Draco gasp out loud and watched as he rushed towards the glint. Teddy sped up and reached the round pedestal against another dead end. He saw a simple vial, shining brilliantly as if it had never known dirt.

Teddy looked at Draco, who had appeared to have frozen up on the spot. “Well, what are you waiting for! Get it, Draco! Grab that vial, that Jiyu you’ve been searching for!”

Draco nodded. He slowly reached out to touch the vial, and then he wrapped his hand around it. Carefully, he picked it up and put it in his bag. He looked up at Teddy with a genuine, happy smile, at which Teddy wished he had a camera to capture what must be one of the happiest moments for Draco. Teddy slung an around Draco and leaned in to whisper, “Now let’s really celebrate!”

“Of course!” Draco and Teddy walked out of the inner area, and once they were out of it, the wall silently appeared back in its place. They looked for that rock, but it had merged into the main wall.

“There goes your pet rock,” Teddy teased.

“A pet?!” Draco gave a mocking glare. “That was not my pet rock. It was simply a tool that I used for my objective.”

Before Teddy could say anything, he heard footsteps in front of them. Letting go of Draco, he grabbed his wand and squinted to make out the person at the entrance.

Without warning, he felt some powerful force throwing him against the far wall, away from Draco. With the wind knocked out of him, he slid down to the ground, coughing. He looked up in time to see a bunch of long white cloth appear out of nowhere. The cloth tied itself around Draco, binding him down on the spot.

“Draco!” Teddy tried to stand up, but he found himself held down by some force beyond him. He could move, but he couldn’t move from that spot. With his wand still in his hand, he tried to cast a spell to get rid of the white cloth, but he found that his magic wasn’t working.

He finally looked up at the person he’d seen earlier. An old woman stood there, wearing a white hanbok. Her hair, which was equally white, was pulled back into a neat bun. She looked fairly harmless, almost reminding him of Draco’s landlady. However, the crazed expression on her face looked dangerous.

“How does it feel? How does it feel to be powerless? To feel what my husband felt when your people attacked him!” She didn’t move. Instead she stayed at the entrance, looking directly at Draco.

Teddy stood up and was going to shout at her, but it was Draco who said in a calm voice, “You must be Kim Jung Min’s wife.”

“Yes. And you’re one of those monsters who tortured and killed my husband!”

Teddy interjected, “No! He wasn’t even alive then!”

She turned to give him an evil glare, “Silence! It doesn’t matter! He’s still one of them, a Death Eater! Once one, always one!”

“You’re a mudang,” Draco said matter-of-factly. “You used what must be a powerful Shaman spell as a barrier against our magic.”

Teddy frantically tried to remember what a mudang was until it came to him. A mudang was a type of Shaman who acted as a mediator between the gods and humans. Buddhist and Taoist in nature, these mudangs were the link between the spiritual world and the real world. They could see spirits, communicate with them.

Draco continued to converse with the woman as if nothing was wrong. “You must have changed your name after your husband’s death. You had to cut off ties to him. He must have appeared in your dreams and asked you to do that.”

Teddy had to give it to Draco. For a man who was quite sarcastic and crabby on a regular basis, Draco knew how to keep his cool. The woman, on the other hand, looked as if she had gone to a sauna and was burning up.

“Yes. My name back then was Kang Soon Jung,” she said angrily. “And you’re correct about my husband’s spirit appearing in my dreams. He told me what had happened and told me to change my name and hide with our unborn daughter. So I changed my name to Oh Son Hae. Several years ago, my poor husband, whose spirit is unable to rest, came to tell me that you had gained possession of his notes on his search for the Jiyu. Then I found out that you had decided to move here, to search for it, and I could have not asked for a better situation!”

“So you tried to attack me, tried to kill me?” Draco asked coldly.

“Why, yes. Absolutely. It’s a shame that the thugs I hired to have you run over failed in their mission. After all, you deserve to die.” There was such vehemence in her voice that Teddy cringed.

“I tried to make your little life miserable after you gained that bodyguard of yours! The nightmares! I wanted you to see and feel the same suffering my husband went through. Luckily, my granddaughter –”

“You mean Pak Jin Sil?” Teddy interrupted her this time. “We figured it all out. Especially when she gave it back to us.”

“Yes,” she sneered. “I knew that your bodyguard’s a descendant from the wolves, so I made up that necklace for her, to interfere with his smell. That ungrateful wench! I raised her, you know? After my daughter died giving birth to her, and her father already dead, I took her in my care. Oh, how thrilled I was to hear that her boyfriend was none other than your real estate agent! It was then I asked her to get me something that belonged to you. She gave me the handkerchief, but I guess she felt guilty because she tried to talk me out of this, tried to tell me that her dear ‘professor’ wasn’t a bad man! Why she even stole it from me!

“Unfortunately, I didn’t anticipate the two of you falling for each other. I didn’t predict that his love would override my spells and rituals! But no matter! I had another dream a few days ago in which my husband appeared and told me that you two had found the location of the Jiyu. He told me where, I set up my traps here, and you two fell for it!”

Teddy stiffened at the knife she revealed. He struggled to move, to get closer to Draco.

It was then that Draco yelled something to Teddy in French. Distract her to weaken her concentration. That’s what Draco had said.

“No! Put the knife away! You don’t want to do this!” His yelling must have distracted her a bit because when he struggled against the force that held him in the spot, he began to move. He felt like he was moving through the thickest molasses in the world, but he moved, centimetre by centimetre.

From where he stood, he could see Draco’s pale face, whiter than usual, and he could smell fear, even if Draco still looked calm as a cucumber.

Teddy moved, a bit faster now, he could feel that whatever power Son Hae used, it was weakening. Encouraged, he moved with more energy, with more force. He had to get to Draco!

Despite his best efforts, though, he could see that he wasn’t going to make it. Son Hae was getting closer to Draco.

“Now, after you get what you deserve, I shall take what my husband had been searching for most of his life until his undeserving death.” She held out the knife. Soon, she was only about three metres away from Draco.

“Halmeoni! Stop!” Teddy turned his head around, surprised to see Jin Sil and Max running towards Son Hae. “Stop! Don’t do this!”

Distraction, such a beautiful thing, Teddy thought. Because of Jin Sil’s unexpected shout, Son Hae’s hold on Teddy weakened to the point that he escaped from the invisible bonds and ran towards her. He saw the stunned look on her face, but she quickly recovered. With the speed of a demon, she ran towards Draco, the knife aimed at his heart.

“No!” Teddy reached out to grab the knife.

Right at that moment, the whole cavern lit. The brightness blinded him, and it made him stay in his spot as he waited for the lights to dim a bit. “Draco!” Teddy called out once he could see. He sighed in relief. There wasn’t any blood. Draco, still tied up, was fine. Teddy was about to run towards him, but there was a ghost in front of Draco. A ghost who stood between Draco and Son Hae.

Teddy swallowed. He could feel Jin Sil and Max behind him. He heard Jin Sil’s soft, “Grandfather?”

“Yuh-bo . . . ” Son Hae said the word that Teddy recognised as the term married couples used to call each other. Teddy couldn’t see her face, but he heard her voice shake, and he could smell the sadness and love that emanated from her.

The ghost of Kim Jung Min looked at his wife. “Stop. Don’t turn yourself into a killer. When I told you about this man finding my notes, I didn’t mean for you to plan revenge. I just wanted to let you know, so you could find him, talk to him, and get some credit as my wife if and when he found the Jiyu.”

“But –”

“Please. This is not what I want you to do. I love you too much for you to take this path. And think of our granddaughter.”

“Yuh-bo!” She pointed at Draco. “But he’s associated with those people who killed you! Who tortured you!”

“Yet he didn’t kill me. He wasn’t even born then. Yes, he may have joined up with those evil doers, but he made a mistake, and I’m sure he had to repent for it more than once. We all do when we do something we regret. Do you want Jin Sil to be associated with a killer? That’s what will happen if you do this. Also, this will not bring me back.” The ghost of Jung Min had begun to fade when it began its speech. By the end, it had disappeared entirely.

“Yuh-bo!” She reached out to touch him. Her hand only met empty space, and her shoulders sagged in defeat. She let the knife fall from her hand. It landed with a soft sound. She waved her hands and muttered something. The white cloth that had been binding Draco disappeared. She then sank to the ground and began to weep loudly.

Teddy ran past her, straight to Draco. “You all right?”

Draco nodded and looked as if he was going to say something, but Teddy didn’t let him. Instead, Teddy pulled him into a tight hug. He whispered, “I thought you were going to be a goner.”

“So did I,” Draco whispered back, his arms going around Teddy and hugging him back. “So did I.”

Teddy and Draco separated when they heard Jin Sil walking towards Son Hae. They watched as she stopped and knelt in front of Son Hae. Wordlessly, she pulled her grandmother into a hug and comforted her. Son Hae’s weeping grew into loud wails and sobs as she rocked in her granddaughter’s arms.

While that went on, Teddy grabbed Draco’s hand and led them towards the entrance where Max waited. The three of them walked back to the beach and waited there for the women.

“I’m sorry about all this,” Max said sombrely, so unlike his usual self. “Jin Sil only told me what was going on this morning. If I’d known sooner, I’d have prevented this or warned you two or something.”

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault. As for her actions, I don’t blame her for it, quite honestly,” Draco said.

Teddy, still holding onto Draco’s hand, gave it a squeeze. “Still, she shouldn’t have targeted you simply because you were affiliated with them years ago.”

Draco gave him a smile. Teddy could see it was a sad and bitter one. “I’m used to it.”

Teddy, anticipating Draco to say that, pulled the older man into a hug. “Nobody should judge you for something in the past.” They stayed like that for a while. At least until the two women finally joined them, at which point Teddy and Draco separated.

Son Hae walked up to Draco and stopped a few feet away from him. There was a tired expression on her face, making her look her age. “I want to apologise. My thirst for revenge nearly hurt more people than necessary. I’m glad my husband and my granddaughter were able to stop me, but I regret all that I have done to you.”

When she finished, Draco said, “Don’t blame yourself. I understand. You did all this out of love and loyalty towards your late husband, much like the way I joined the Death Eaters because of my own loyalty to my parents.”

Draco paused as he reached into his bag and pulled out the sparkling vial. He extended it to Son Hae. “Here. I want you to have this.”

Everyone, even Teddy, looked at Draco with an astonished expression. Son Hae took a step back and held up her hands. “No. I can’t take that. You solved the riddle. You found it, so it’s rightfully yours.”

“But it was all because of your husband’s notes. He had already done most of the work. He’s the one who had translated the riddle from the ancient language.”

“Yes, but you found it.”

“Yes, but I didn’t want to find this for fame and be renowned for this discovery,” Draco again tried to hand the vial over to her. “My plan was to find his grave and empty the Jiyu there. He deserves it.”

As Draco’s words sank into all their minds, Teddy saw tears well up in Son Hae’s eyes before she reach out with shaky hands and grasped the bottle. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Draco nodded and repeated, “Yes.”

She wiped her eyes and regained her composure. “Will you two follow Jin Sil, Max, and I to the grave?”

Teddy caught Draco’s eyes. He nodded in affirmation to Draco.

“Yes, we’ll be honoured to go,” Draco assured her.

This was where Max stepped in. With a grin, he pulled out a notebook that had Mickey Mouse on the cover. After he got the location from Son Hae, he spelled it into a Portkey. “Grab Mickey, everyone!”

Teddy suppressed a laugh at the bizarre turn of events and grabbed a part of the notebook. Other hands joined him, and Max said the word. “Kimchi!”

The place where Jung Min was laid to rest was at a peaceful, beautiful, snow-covered valley. Off in the distance, Teddy saw snowy mountains.

He focused his attention on Son Hae and Jin Sil, as they walked up to the burial mound. The women, despite the snow on the ground, got down on their knees and made a formal bow to pay respect to Jung Min. Son Hae stood up and edged closer to the front of the mound. She opened the vial, but she hesitated as she turned back to look at Draco.

Draco didn’t say anything. He simply nodded.

Son Hae turned back to the mound. Slowly, she poured out the three drops of the liquid from a long forgotten past. The drops hit the snow.

A slow mist came and surrounded the valley. Teddy saw a huge amount of the mist all congregated on top of the mound. The mist gradually took a form, and once again it was the spirit of Jung Min.

Son Hae stayed silent and the others followed suit as they all watched the ghost. Jung Min’s mouth moved as if he was talking, but there were no sounds coming from him. However, Teddy could hear in his heart the spirit was thanking them. The ghost smiled and gave a loving look to Son Hae and Jin Sil before it dissipated. Teddy instinctively knew that the spirit was finally able to rest.

The mist disappeared as well. Jin Sil gasped as she pointed at the top of the mound. A single flower stood there. A beautiful flower, its petals coloured blue and white, its stem and leaves in the healthiest shade of green. For eternity, the Jiyu’s power would allow it to always live on, even through the most extreme weather, it will never die, always remaining its beautiful blooming self.

After that was done, Son Hae left the mound and walked up to Draco. Grabbing his hands, she put the diamond vial in his opened hands and closed them. “Keep it. You gave my husband the Jiyu. I give you the vial.”

Teddy could see Draco wanting to protest, but Draco gave her a small smile as he brought his hands towards his body. “Thank you. Thank you for this honour.”

After they promised to go out again with Max and Jin Sil to another night of singing and drinking, Teddy and Draco Apparated back home. Once there, they walked into the sitting room.

“I didn’t know that was your plan with the Jiyu.”

Draco just shrugged as he sat down on the couch. “You never asked.”

“You’re right about that.” Teddy took a seat next to Draco and grabbed him into an embrace.

“Hey!”

“I thought I was going to lose you,” Teddy explained without any mirth. “When she was running towards you with the knife, and I wasn’t able to get to you in time, I have never felt so helpless in my entire life.”

Teddy felt Draco relaxing in his arms. He felt Draco’s arm around him. Encouraged by that small gesture, he buried his face in the space where Draco’s shoulder and neck met. Teddy breathed in that familiar scent, the scent that had caused him to go mad just two months ago. Softly, he kissed the pale skin and stayed there, unmoving.

“Are you,” Draco started in a slightly breathy voice, “just going to stay there all day?”

Teddy raised his head to meet Draco’s grey eyes and gave him an impish smile. “That doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Your scent is very pleasing to me.”

“You make me sound like I need to take a bath.”

“Not really. I’ve enjoyed your scent since that first day I saw you.”

“Ye gads! Not that first day!”

Teddy smiled and kissed the area again. It must have been a sensitive spot for Draco because he moaned out loud. “You like it?”

“Don’t ask silly questions,” Draco managed in his usual biting tones. Teddy felt Draco’s hand against his head, pushing him away. “So tell me, you liked me since that first day when I was butting heads with Mung Chung?”

“Where you were wet and naked? Well, sort of. You had this smell about you. Remember how I told you Victoire didn’t smell right to my nose? Well you apparently smelled right from the very beginning.”

“Somehow that confession doesn’t make me want to jump up and down in excitement.”

“It was the end of October,” Teddy admitted. “That’s when I came to the realisation that I liked you and realised that you were the one for me.”

A sharp look overtook Draco’s face. “Wait a minute. That was around the time when you were –”

“Wanking off like a teenager while being spied on by a dokkaebi who told its master?” Teddy dryly said.

Draco nodded.

“Very perceptive, Professor,” Teddy said in a husky voice.

He watched Draco’s grey eyes darken. “I — my feelings started to change for you as well. Probably around the same time. I just tried not to let it show nor treat you any differently.”

“And you succeeded.”

“Ah, but I didn’t succeed around my son.”

Teddy blinked. “Explain, please.”

“That Sunday morning at breakfast, the day we came down together? We were catching up with each other. That shrewd son of mine must have read something in me.”

“And what was his, er, response?” Teddy cautiously asked.

Draco smirked. “His response was — and I quote — ‘Dad, just do what makes you happy. Just don’t go into details about your sex life, okay?'”

Teddy blushed and groaned. He rested his forehead on Draco’s shoulder. “For Merlin’s sake! Your son, my godfather, and my grandmother must all be taking Divination from someone who’s not Professor Trelawney!”

“Hm. Honestly, I could care less about their Divination skills or lack thereof. I was thinking about ways of trying to torture my son with details of our sex lives if there ever is a time for it.”

Teddy lifted his head up at the challenge. He pulled Draco onto his lap. In a rough voice, he said, “I’m up for the challenge. Just don’t tell Scorpius.”

“What if I want to?”

“Then I’ll do this to shut you up.” Teddy closed the gap between them. Their lips met, and Teddy kissed, sucked, and nipped Draco’s lips. He deepened the kiss by slipping his tongue inside where he memorised every single indentations and depression as he tasted him. While he kissed Draco, he allowed one hand to reach down to cup a nice, firm arse. His other hand reached up to undo the buttons of Draco’s shirt. With the shirt parted open, the ends pulled out from the pants, Teddy’s hand roamed across Draco’s chest and torso. Breaking the kiss, he made a wet trail with his lips down Draco’s jaw and neck.

“Wait –” Draco managed to say. “Not here. Bedroom.”

Teddy stopped his ministrations and pouted. He helped Draco up on his feet and led them back to the room. “Satisifed? I hope so! Now my mood’s ruined!”

He allowed himself to be tugged forward. He kept his eyes on Draco’s face; even when Draco sat on the bed and scooted himself backwards, Teddy’s eyes didn’t move away from Draco’s face. His stare broke, though, when he felt Draco’s foot at his crotch, massaging his arousal. He moaned loudly. “Damn. Feels so good . . . ”

“And you said your mood was ruined?” Draco kept up the crotch massage. “If that’s ruined, then I’d love to see how you would act if your mood’s not ruined.”

Growling, Teddy crawled on the bed and hovered over Draco. He stared at Draco’s scars, the same scars he saw two months ago. He kissed them, traced each and every one of them with his tongue. Draco moaned and grabbed onto his lover. Encouraged Teddy kept up his attention. As each second passed, the passion between them grew stronger. It wasn’t long before Teddy took off Draco’s pants and underwear. Soon after, Teddy started to taste Draco, smell him in ways he never would have imagined. His exploration of Draco continued as he urged himself to try to find out how to make the man cry out in pleasure. First it was with his fingers. Then he fully entered all the way himself, and he lost himself in pleasures he never had imagined. When he and Draco reached the end together, he couldn’t help but relish the fact that the bliss he had just experienced felt so much better than any wank session.

During the aftermath, he and Draco cuddled with each other on the bed. No words were exchanged as they rested. Teddy felt his eyes drooping, and he would have fallen asleep if it wasn’t for Draco’s, “Mung Chung!”

Teddy’s eyes shot open. At the foot of the bed, he saw Mung Chung standing there, grinning at them.

Both Teddy and Draco shared a look. And both of them shouted the dokkaebi’s name, the sounds echoing throughout the house as chaos between the three resumed.

Christmas Eve at the Burrow was hectic as usual, with all the Weasleys, Potters, and other friends and family members all crammed into the tight spot. Teddy looked around the homely place, one of his many hang outs from childhood. He saw Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione and their children, Rose and Hugo. He saw Aunt Molly and Uncle Arthur playing host as usual. There were loud banging noises followed by laughter, and he wasn’t surprised to see Uncle George showing off one of his new tricks. Off to the side, he saw Harry and Neville talking to Ginny and her boyfriend. Amongst the river of red, he saw his grandmother talking with Lily and James. Victoire and Anthony were talking with Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur.

Then his eyes rested on Albus Severus and Scorpius, where the two of them looked so happy with each other. Teddy couldn’t wait until the two of them came to visit in Korea. Now that Teddy’s mission was officially over, he decided to accept Yonsei University’s offer to teach at the College of Advanced Auror Techniques, CAAT for short. This allowed him to stay in Korea and to stay with Draco, who currently was talking to Uncle Percy.

It wasn’t long before it was time to eat. They all gathered into the expanded dining room, where they all sat at the long table that looked as if it was grunting in pain from the weight of all the food. Everyone was served, and they started to eat and talk as they all enjoyed Christmas Eve.

Teddy sat between Albus Severus and Draco. While they ate, under the table, he reached for Draco’s hand. He laced their fingers together. He leaned in and whispered in Draco’ ear. “Happy Christmas, Love.”

Draco smiled and whispered back, “You too, Love. Happy Christmas.”

Ending Notes

These are the images I used to picture places in the fic:
– Draco’s hanok home inside http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Korea-Gangneung-Ojukheon-01.jpg
– Draco’s hanok home outside http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Korea-Gangneung-Seongyojang-01.jpg
– Yonsei Univeristy http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e1/Yonsei-university-main-building.jpg/800px-Yonsei-university-main-building.jpg
– Visual representation of a dokkaebi http://www.prontera.net/cards/dokkaebi_l.jpg

Wikipedia Pages for research and more in-depth reading:
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seoul
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwangju
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pungmul
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanbok
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimchi
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_mythology
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_shamanism
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_River_(Korea)
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myeongdong
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N_Seoul_Tower
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DLI_63_Building
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itaewon
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insadong
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bongeunsa
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seoraksan
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_in_Gyeongju
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seoul_Grand_Park
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dokdo

Couple of the Korean names in the fics actually have meanings. Here’s the list:
– Jin Sil = truth, sincere
– Soon Jung = pure
– Son Hae = damage

Draco’s twenty-fifth birthday was just around the corner.

He had a great job (he was the Arithmancy professor at Hogwarts), a good house (aside from the manor and his rooms at Hogwarts, he had a lovely Victorian-style mansion in Dorset), and a wonderful girlfriend (who was also his colleague as the Care of Magical Creatures professor) who was the one and only Luna Lovegood.

Every day, his life was always hopping with unpredictable students in his classes. He was constantly amused by the interesting answers his students gave him on their Arithmancy problems, and he alternated between amused and frustrated at how the younger generations seemed incapable of following instructions on their exams. One time, he specifically wrote out a true and false exam, where the students would only have to circle A or B. Unfortunately, he had a student circle “C” for the entire exam, and Draco didn’t know whether he should cry or laugh. Instead, he focused his attention on the good part of teaching, and so aside from a few morons in his classes, he generally enjoyed his job.

Then there were his homes. Luckily, there was nothing for him to really complain or discuss about. His house elves took care of the manor and the mansion, and the Hogwarts’ house elves took care of his rooms at Hogwarts. As long as his residences were nice and clean, nothing else mattered.

Well, one more thing mattered, and that was Luna. After the war, with the Malfoy name ruined, Draco had been in a slump. He couldn’t seem to get himself out of bed in the morning. But that all changed when a chance meeting had brought him to Luna.

He’d been in the Three Broomsticks, hiding in a corner as he tried to ignore all the hostile looks from the other wizarding folks. He’d just come from a job interview, a job he knew he had no chance of getting within the first minute of his interview, and he was rather furious, frustrated, and flummoxed as what to do next. Draco glared at the shot of firewhiskey sitting on the table in front of him. He’d been so busy concentrating on the shot glass that he didn’t even notice he had company until someone’s cheery voice said, “Is there something invisible on the shot glass? A secret message that will tell us the answer to the mystery of life? Or better yet, why Nargles are so shy?”

Startled by his unwelcomed companion, Draco gaped unattractively at a rather beaming Luna Lovegood. Her silvery-grey eyes met his steely ones, and Draco had to close his own to keep the sparkles from blinding him. Looking away from those eyes, he looked at her dirty blonde hair, plaited neatly into a fat braid, and her interesting ensemble of clothes. He remembered Pansy showing him a doll donned in some Native American costume, complete with a feathered headband. Luna reminded him of that doll as he looked at the beige-coloured robes that had colourful beads and feathers. Luna didn’t have the feathered headband, but it didn’t take much imagination for Draco to mentally draw one on her head.

He then scowled as he mentally kicked himself. “Go away, Loony Lovegood. What I stare at or think about is none of your business.” He was glad his mother wasn’t with him because he would have just received an earful from her for being incredibly rude. But he didn’t care if he was rude. He wanted to be alone, and he didn’t want someone like Luna to bother him.

She didn’t go away. Instead, Luna sat down and began prattling on about a multitude of topics. Draco narrowed his eyes; she was either deaf or playing dumb. He’d decided on both as his head had begun to spin from the randomness of her one-sided conversation, and he was having a difficult time keeping up with her.

Thankfully, she finally said, “It was really enlightening to have this discussion about magical creatures, Draco. Perhaps, next time we’ll discuss about the complexities of Arithmancy? I really loved that class, too, but the Hogwarts curriculum is lacking a bit in that department, so I feel like I was quite cheated from learning the intricacies of the subject.”

Draco nodded mutely, wondering how she knew that Arithmancy was his favourite subject. Before he could ask, she stood up and barged on, “I’ve got to run now. I’ll see you here again, next week? Same time? Farewell until then!” She walked off, the feathers on her costume fluttering and the beads clanking.

Gobsmacked, Draco stayed at the Three Broomsticks for another two hours until he was able to force himself to leave.

Since then, Draco came to the conclusion that Luna was a force to be reckoned with. In fact, somehow, despite his initial plan to ignore her assumption of them meeting again in a week, Draco found himself at the Three Broomsticks exactly a week later. Luna, as promised, showed up, and since then, he’d not been able to get rid of her.

Luna’s bright personality and her interesting perspectives on something simple like sweets to something complex like why the universe exist all gave Draco the encouragement to do something more with his life instead of wallowing in self-pity and alcohol. Not at first, though. In the beginning, he’d tried to snipe his way away from Luna by insulting her to make her hate him. It hadn’t worked. She’d seemed impervious to any of his snarky comments; in fact, she’d even twisted his comments and used it to discuss her favourite topic ever: the existence of Nargles.

One time, he’d said to her, “Are you colour-blind? Why are your robes pink and green — neon pink and green?”

Her response was, “Nargles like these colours. I wear them in hopes to attract them to me, and I think it works! I think one almost came to me, but because I was in Diagon Alley, the crowds and the noises scared the poor thing away.”

She was eccentric, but she’d wormed her way into his heart. Six months after their first meeting, Luna gave him a mind-blowing kiss that caused him to see fireworks and other sparkly objects that Luna loved. A year later, they moved in with each other, and both started on their mastery programmes. She did a thesis in the extinction level of magical creatures, and he a thesis on the differences between Eastern and Western Arithmancy. Two years later, they finished and got hired to work at Hogwarts. Now, five years after their first meeting, Draco was blissfully happy with his career and with his love life.

His birthday fell on a Sunday this year. Because it was the weekend, instead of waking up in his rooms at Hogwarts, he woke up in his bedroom in his mansion at Dorset. Blearily, he rubbed his eyes, and he looked at the empty spot next to him. He found it odd. Normally, Luna would never wake up before him, but today, she did, and it was a bit unnerving. He touched the rumpled area, and he felt that it was still slightly warm. Just as he threw the blanket off of him, intending to run to the loo to do his business, the door swung open, and Luna walked in carrying a big box.

“Happy Birthday, Draco!” she announced in her clear, sing-song voice. Still in her nightgown with her dressing gown over it, Luna carefully walked towards the bed, her arms wrapped protectively over the box. It was a pretty box. It was wrapped neatly in silver wrapping, and there was a huge pink bow at the top. Draco had to wonder why the bow had to be pink. Of all the colours, why pink?

Luna set the garish box in his lap, and she eagerly climbed into the bed next to him, giving him a passionate kiss. The kiss was so good that Draco almost forgot about the present in his lap. But Luna broke it and backed off. She grinned at him, her eyes twinkling with mirth and said, “Before you open this, I want you to guess what’s in here.”

Draco raised an eyebrow. “Can you give me a hint?”

“Nope. No hints. That will take the fun out of this game.”

Looking carefully at the box, Draco’s magical instincts told him that the box was spelled to keep something alive in here. Alive. He blanched and hoped Luna didn’t get him a ferret. “A . . . cat?”

“Nope.”

“A . . . snake?”

“Not even close.”

“Please, not a ferret.”

Luna giggled. “Of course not. I would never get you that — although those are cute.”

Draco exhaled loudly. “They may be cute, but I don’t want them near me.” Pressing an ear against the box, Draco strained to hear some sort of a noise that would give him a clue. It was silent. “A rabbit?”

A soft smirk came on her face. “Not a rabbit.”

Just then he heard a whimpering sound from the box. Draco looked at Luna. “Don’t tell me you’ve got a child in here,” he half-joked. An indignant “ruff-ruff” sound came from the box. “A dog?”

Luna’s face emitted joy. “Yes, but which one?”

Groaning, Draco whined, “Lunaaaaa. Don’t make me guess all those breeds of dog!”

“But, darling,” Luna said with an innocent look. “There aren’t that many wizarding breeds of dog.”

“Oh, well, that makes it better. I thought you’d have got me a Muggle dog.”

“No, of course not. You know I wouldn’t want a Muggle dog with us. It’d scare away the Nargles since Muggle dogs have different aura compared to a wizarding dog. Now, guess!”

“A crup?” Draco asked. “Is that the breed?”

“Yes! You did it! Now, open it.”

A crup? Draco had to admit, he was a bit surprised. True, Luna was a big animal lover, but he’d never been much into animals before. When he was younger, he’d always wanted a pet, but he wasn’t allowed to have one because of the mess they would make and all the responsibility it took to raise an animal. Sure, his father raised two crups, but it was his father’s, not his. The crups were off-limit, and Draco always thought that was unfair. Now, that he was older, the idea of having a pet never really hit him, especially since his experience with the “bouncing ferret” left him quite traumatised.

Taking a deep breath, he carefully undid the pink bow and unwrapped the silver paper. The top flap automatically popped opened, and an adorable puppy poked its head out and licked Draco’s cheek. “Oi!” Draco exclaimed in surprise, making Luna’s pearly laughter ring out in the room.

The puppy barked happily, and Draco carefully took it out of the box. He held it away from his face, and he studied the crup.

“Isn’t it cute?” Luna asked, reaching out to scratched its head. “It’s a girl.”

A girl? Draco set the puppy down on his bed, and he watched it stretch and wriggle her body. The puppy had a nice colouring. It was chocolate brown with white paws. Draco held out a hand towards her, and she sniffed at it. When it looked like she was satisfied by his smell, she bumped her head into his hand, and Draco automatically began to pet her.

“She’s controllable in Muggle-inhabited area — Hermione and Harry helped me with that — and I got the licence for her from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creature. The only thing she needs now is a name. Well, a name from you.”

“Pardon?”

“See,” Luna explained happily, “I named her ‘Padraig’.”

“Padraig? Isn’t that a guy’s–”

“Yes, but that was before I was told it was a girl. So like I said, she has a name from me, but she needs a name from you unless you want to call her Padraig.”

“And confuse everyone around her?” Draco drawled out with a frown. “No. She’s not going to be Padraig. I was thinking ‘Eydie’. It means ‘rich gift’, and she is a rich gift in a sense that . . . well . . . it’s . . . ” Draco blushed as he tried to find the words to explain his sudden moments of sentimentalism. “It’s from you. And because it’s you . . . that makes this little crup even more special.”

Luna answered him by hugging and kissing him. “Eydie it is, love.”

Draco kissed her back, and amidst the box, the wrapping, the bow, and Eydie, Luna straddled him and deepened the kiss. As Eydie barked and demanded for their attention, Draco tuned out the barking for a few minutes as he wrapped his arms around her slender waist.

With his fantastic job, his marvellous homes, his tremendously fabulous girlfriend, and now a brilliant new puppy in his life, Draco couldn’t have asked for a better birthday.

Christmas, the fifth one after the war, lingers around the corner.

For the longest time, I couldn’t enjoy it. All the gaiety and festivity, displayed by others, crushed me.

In a twisted way, Christmas marks as the anniversary of the day where He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named finally died, along with many others.

The others include my two best mates, Harry and Hermione with many of our classmates and acquaintances.

Unlike the first time, this one ended with no cheers of joy. Everyone, including the Death Eaters, had many losses. Too many to even think about celebrating the day we all waited for.

The rest of the year went on, and the wizarding world started to heal. As the first anniversary approached, Diagon Alley seemed so fake, though, with all the people trying so hard to make it feel like Christmas. I felt numb, walking through it, the bright colours nearly blinding me.

I left there quickly, through the Leaky Cauldron, and stepped into the Muggle world. I looked around at the fascinating ecletric lights blubs, blinking everywhere, and tears came to my eyes. The Muggle’s technology reminded me of my dead father. Along with him, everyone, except for Percy, was dead. Percy will forever be at St. Mungo’s, just like Neville’s parents. He may as well be dead.

I feel like I’m the only Weasley left. And as being the only survivor among the trio, I’m treated as a hero.

Back in my first year at Hogwarts, when Harry showed me the Mirror of Erised, I saw myself standing alone with the Head Boy Badge, posing as the Quidditch captain, and holding the Quidditch cup. I wanted glory, I wanted to break away from my older brothers’ shadows, and I admit, I did want to be like Harry, getting all the attention.

I don’t want that now. I know that if I were to look in that forsaken mirror, I’d see something close to what Harry had seen instead.

Then, there’s Draco Malfoy. The bane of my existence since we were young enough to understand the concept of the whole feud our families went through several generations. I never thought I’d say this, but this whole war made us be similar in one aspect: that we are pretty much the sole survivors of our families. And of course, I never would have thought he and I would become lovers.

Yes, hell has frozen over. To think I’d be with a pompous arse who only cares about himself is simply bizarre.

For two years, I hadn’t seen him. He just disappeared after the war ended, despite the fact that he fought on our side. Then, by chance, I saw him at the cemetery where our families and friends were buried.

As I entered, he was on his way out. We stopped in front of each other, a few feet apart. He said to me, “Weasley, I guess no matter how much fame and money you have, you will always look like a pauper.”

I felt the old spark of anger in me when he said that. The first real emotion I felt in the last couple of years that wasn’t numbness. With reflex, I glared at him. The old me would have snapped something along the lines of “Eat dung, Malfoy,” but I didn’t say that. Instead, I noticed that Draco was just as lost as I was, for his usual air of arrogance and the lack of his trademark smirk were replaced with an exhausted look a lot of us carried.

My glare lessened as I sighed and said, “What I look like doesn’t really matter, Malfoy. ‘Sides, you don’t look any better than me.”

He waved a hand of indifference at me, walked past me, and stopped next to me. “Weasley, as much as I’d love to stay and chat, I have other business to attend.” He apparated away, leaving me to wonder why that soft, warm whisper lingering on my ears sent shivers down my spine.

After that encounter, I saw him more, always unintentionally. Usually in the Leaky Cauldron, when I didn’t want to go to my flat after work, I’d sit there with some firewhiskey, drinking the night way. He would join me, usually once every couple weeks, and then it increased to once a week to almost every other day.

The first several times we were together, we just sat at the bar in silence, each nursing our drinks. The hushed moments between us were comfortable. We had plenty to talk about, but neither of us wanted to hurry into them since they required going into the past, our memories of happier days. Days with our families, friends, and heck, even days of our hostility-filled quarrel between my friends and his.

As time went on, though, we’d talk. From banal subjects about the weather to work, we tentatively would talk about more personal stuff. Our talks would get into heated discussions sometimes, sometimes to the point we’d be sniping at each other like in our schooldays. Whenever we did get into those moments, I couldn’t help but revel in the fact that I can at least still be hot-tempered, and he can still be a pretentious prick.

That fateful day occurred about a year later. We both had a bad day at work for various reasons. Unwisely, we both had gotten drunk. Thankfully, we were coherent enough to avoid apparating. We flooed into his place, a fancy flat that he moved into after he sold the Malfoy manor to whoever wanted it.

We arrived at his place, but without our usual balance and coordination, we landed on the floor, with me on top of him. Both of us stared at each other with silly looks at first, but then we realised how close we were. The warmth from his body coursed through me. Being celibate since the war ended, I felt intoxicated with needs. I had the urge to kiss Draco Malfoy, something I never would have considered.

Till this day, I do not know who moved first. It could have been me, could have been him, or could have been both of us. All I know is that our lips met with urgent needs, with my stubbles scraping against his, our lower bodies grinding for that pleasurable friction, our hands finding the warm skins to soothe our repressed emotions away.

Whether it was all alcohol-induced or not, I do know it felt good. I can give myself credit for remembering that.

To say that the morning after was awkward was an understatement. He woke up before me, telling me that he had already showered and was on his way to work. He acted like nothing happened and so did I.

But I was afraid. Afraid that somehow that night screwed up our slowly built comradeship. I had thoughts that he would never come to the Leaky Cauldron anymore. For the next couple days, I cursed to myself, cursed at the alcohol, and cursed at my other head for taking over. When he didn’t show up the first day, I told myself to be patient and that he needed time to recover from this. Couple more days passed as well. By then I was a basket case inside.

He did show up though. I had to almost cast a body binding spell on myself from going up to him and…do what? Punch him? Hug him? Shove him against the wall with my tongue in his mouth? I didn’t do anything, and we didn’t talk about it. Still, we had more nights where we’d end up at one of our places and have sex, frottage, or whatnot. First couple times, we had to be drunk to get into it, and like the first time, we never discussed it. Then, as it became more regular, we did it without alcohol. We would actually make love instead of going at it like two desperate people who needed a way to cope with the post-war syndromes.

Love. Our love for each other pulled us out of that wall we had put up around ourselves like medicine. Both of us had come a long way.

Now the fifth anniversary is today. I have gone through Diagon Alley and out to London. Instead of feeling what I have felt previously, I feel at peace with myself. I have bought presents for Draco…and even for Percy. Draco and I will go see Percy tonight and hope that someday he will come out of that catatonic state.

I hear the familiar “pop” as I see Draco apparating to my place. I set the presents I have been holding down, and we embrace each other. After softly kissing him, I smile and says, “It finally feels like Christmas, Draco. Happy Christmas, love.”