Cupid Wings

8. Greatness

Although Harry had sent his Patronus ahead to forewarn Andy that he was bringing Draco, the tall, thin, and austere woman frowned as Harry stepped through the Floo with Pads, closely followed by Draco. She asked Harry to step into kitchen with her for a quick word. They left Teddy and Draco looking warily at each other.

'What is he doing here, Harry?'

'I asked him to come, for Teddy, they're cousins after all.'

'Second-cousins but that is beside the point. Harry, you know I've purposely distanced myself from my family; from my sisters' choices, from that family and the late-Lestranges.'

'I know but I want you to give him a chance. Draco is not his father. He's not one of them.'

'A Death-eater, you mean. Like one of those who killed my daughter and Remus or your own Godfather and all those children at the school. He took the Mark, Harry. He is one of them.'

'He was only sixteen, he was forced to. In the same way that I was forced to kill a man at seventeen. Do you think I would have chosen that if things could have been different? He had no choice. Lucius was who stood between Draco and Voldemort, and I landed Lucius in prison...'

'...no, Lucius landed himself in prison by breaking into the Ministry.'

'Well, yes.'

'Is this some kind of warped Gryffindor guilt trip?'

'No, Andy. Draco isn't his father. He took himself away from it all after the war, he went to Paris and trained in Healership. Just give him a chance, please. For me.'

'Oh heavens above! You like him, don't you?'

'Yes.'

'Really?'

'Yes.'

'Dear boy, your taste! Are your feelings reciprocated?'

'I think so.'

Andy sighed, 'he has today to impress upon me that he's not one of them, that he's not just a replica of that ponce Lucius Malfoy.'

'You realise I wouldn't like him if he was?'

Andy snorted perilously.

As they returned to the sitting room, Harry put out his arm to halt Andy from going into the room, instead they stood on the threshold, watching.

The room was in darkness. Draco and the four-and-a-half-year-old Teddy were laid on their backs in the middle of the floor with Pads. Above them, reflected on the ceiling were a pattern of stars, a replication of the night sky.

'It doesn't look like a dragon, more like a kite on a wiggly string,' said Teddy.

'They're just the main stars which make the skeleton, then lots of little stars are joined together to make the shape of the constellation.'

'Like a dot-to-dot?'

'Yes.'

'Show me.'

'What's the magic word?'

'Please.'

Draco waved his wand in a complex configuration and a series of silvery lines joined together into a swirling giant dragon amongst the stars.

'Cool,' said Teddy. 'But he looks more like a lizard.'

'She. She's a Chinese dragon with a mane and tail of fire.'

'Wow! Real fire?'

'In the wizarding stories.'

'Wow! Fearsome!'