Blackbird

Epilogue

5 Years Later

Harry was basking in the unseasonably warm weather, leaning against a tree in the shade. He finished reading the letter in his hands and folded it back up, smiling to himself at its contents. He looked up when Nadine sat down beside him.

"Hello Harry! How is Teddy?"

He grinned at her knowing smile. "Teddy is doing great, from the sound of things. He likes his classes and he's making loads of friends. I think he loves Hogwarts as much as I did."

"I'm glad. I'm nervous to send Thomas next year."

"Ah, he'll do great, too. And he'll have Teddy to look out for him."

"You're right." Nadine cradled her rounded belly with a hand. "And I'll have this sweet girl to distract me from the pain of sending him so far away."

"Have you and Piers decided on a name yet?"

Nadine shot a fond look across the lawn at her bondmate, who was chasing a group of young children around, hands bent into claws and growling ferociously. The children giggled and screamed as they ran in all directions, then turned and danced closer, taunting him, before running away screaming again. Harry smiled at the sight.

"I'll catch the lot of you one day!" Pierson called, dropping his hands to his knees as he caught his breath.

"Not yet. At least, not that we can agree on." Nadine grinned. "Any ideas?"

"On no," Harry raised his hands. "No way. I'm not getting in the middle of that."

"Fair enough," she laughed. "How's Draco?"

"Working obsessively on the next batch of experimental Wolfsbane. He's not going to rest until we all wake up fresh as daisies the  morning after the full moon, I swear."

"Well, you did seem much better after the last one, test subject number one." Nadine teased.

"The addition of muscle relaxing ingredients was genius. I did feel better, although it did give me horrifically bad breath for two solid days. Nothing could get rid of it until it went away on its own, and Draco wouldn't come anywhere near me, not that I blame him. We're both hoping this batch won't come with that particular side effect again." Harry shot her a wry smile. 

"You miss him."

"Yeah," Harry sighed. "I appreciate what he's doing, but I've barely seen him all week. He was in the Potions lab before even I woke up this morning."

"Understandable. Well, if my Alpha emotion-reading is correct, I think he may be almost done. He's feeling excited, relieved, hungry, and exhausted. You should take him something to eat. And you may want to find time for a nap before your plans tonight. And...he misses you, too."

"Bit spooky how you can do that," Harry teased, standing up. "He did say he'd be finishing this afternoon though, just in time for us to go to dinner to celebrate our anniversary tonight."

Nadine laughed. "It was weird when you did it too, and I only use my powers for good. Go find your husband. I'm going to go get mine and round all the children up for lunch."

Harry pulled her to her feet and waved as they went their separate ways. "See you."

•••••

Harry walked through the halls of the old Manor. He stopped by the kitchen and requested a plate of sandwiches for them both for lunch and one of Sofia's famous strawberry cheese pastries for Draco. He paused outside the third classroom door, where the nine and ten-year-olds were in class with Lewis. There were ten of them in total, and they were a wild bunch, but Harry knew that Lewis could handle them. He listened as they enthusiastically spouted answers to an arithmetic game they seemed to be playing as a class.

Smiling, he continued on his way to his and Draco's suite.

He closed the door behind him and set the plates of food and pastries and Teddy's letter on the dining table. He caught Draco's scent even before he opened the door to the Potions Lab, and sure enough, Draco was still inside, adding what appeared to be the last ingredient to his potion. He picked up a bronze spoon and began to stir, counting turns under his breath and glancing at the hand-written notes next to the cauldron.

Harry lingered in the doorway, knowing better than to interrupt Draco when he was actively brewing. He didn't mind waiting and watching him, anyway. The sight of Draco, focused and a little bit disheveled from the work and the heat, eyes bright with excitement and a smudge of ink across his cheek, was always alluring.

After he set the spoon down and lowered the flames to heat the potion at a low simmer, Draco glanced up and jumped. "Oh! Hello, darling. How long have you been there?" He bent over his notes and scribbled something down.

"Not long." Harry walked over, pressing himself firmly against his back as he stood up again, and Draco wrapped an arm up over Harry's neck and turned his head to kiss him softly. "Are you finished?" Harry asked in his ear, voice low.

"Yes," Draco smirked. "Why?"

"Good."

Harry spun Draco around and kissed him so fiercely he was bending him backward over his arm.

"You sought me out in the middle of the day for this?" Draco laughed, pulling back to look at him.

"Not exactly. I just realized I hadn't seen you in hours and I missed you. I wanted to do this after watching you work."

"I'm sweaty," Draco protested as Harry nuzzled along his neck, flicking his tongue out to taste the skin.

"I love it," Harry continued pressing open-mouthed kisses over his throat, and despite his token protest, Draco angled his head to give him better access. "Godric, you taste good."

"I need a shower," Draco retorted breathlessly, fingers sliding into Harry's hair of their own accord.

Harry's answering grin had a hint of mischief in it, and Draco laughed again. "Walked into that one, didn't I?"

"Sure did."

Draco pulled his wand from his sleeve, gave it a wave, and the cauldron poured itself into a line of prepared vials, which immediately corked themselves when they were full.

"I brought lunch back from the kitchens for us," Harry said, sliding a hand into Draco's. "Let's get you something to eat, and then we'll go get you all cleaned up."

"Sounds perfect." Draco kissed him and let him tug him along.

After they ate, they took an extremely pleasant shower, pulled on boxers and t-shirts to sleep in, and climbed into bed for a nap.

"Comfortable?" Harry asked, cuddling up against his husband and draping an arm over his waist.

"Mhm. Very," Draco sighed.

"Happy Anniversary. I love you."

"I love you too, Harry. Play something for me?"

Harry yawned and flopped onto his back, stretching his arms over his head. "Yeah. What do you want me to play?"

"My favorite," Draco smiled, reaching out to brush Harry's hair off his forehead. "If you don't mind?"

"'Course not." Harry kissed him again and rolled out of the bed. He picked up his guitar, summoned a chair from beside the fireplace, and settled into it.

Draco propped himself up on an elbow to watch him, his heart feeling impossibly full, as Harry began to sing—

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly..."