1000 Days of Harry Potter

Day 975

Draco goes through the Floo into the Sitting Room at Grimmauld Place, a stack of books in his hands. "Harry?"

He glances around and spots him sitting at the desk he's added to the corner of the room for his studies, asleep again, his face pressed against a textbook, his glasses digging into the side of his face, a parchment covered in notes beside it. His quill is still in his hand, the tip resting against his cheek, leaving a black smear of ink there.

Draco sets Teddy's books on the coffee table and makes his way over. He wakes him by gently shaking his shoulder and saying his name again. Harry startles, nearly knocking over the inkwell, but Draco manages to catch it before it tips over.

"Merlin," Harry groans, dropping the quill into the little pot and rubbing at one eye with the heel of his hand, shoving his glasses up onto his head. "Thanks, Draco. I can't believe I fell asleep again."

"You're pushing yourself too hard," Draco comments. "You should go to bed. Take a nap. Come back to it after you rest."

"Can't," Harry yawns. "I have an essay due in the morning and I'm still working on the outline," he gestures at the notes. "I'll go make some coffee and get back to it."

Draco stares at him for a second. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Harry gives him a tired smile. "It's a lot, but I can handle it."

"Alright. Well," Draco gestures at the books he'd brought over. "I brought that book series Teddy left at my house that he apparently can't live without."

"Thanks. He's over at Hermione and Ron's until after dinner, but he insisted that he can't go to bed tonight without them."

Draco smiles. "Right, well. Now he can. Make sure you have something besides coffee for dinner tonight as well, even if Teddy is eating with his friends."

Harry rolls his eyes at him. "Yes, mum."

Which Draco knows means that he absolutely won't be cooking anything for himself. He pulls a face back. "I'm making pasta and a salad for dinner, I'll send some through the Floo for you tonight."

"Pasta and salad? Fancy for you," Harry teases. "What's the occasion?"

"Oh sod off," Draco glares at him, but there really isn't any heat behind it. "Paul is coming over, that's all."

Harry's teasing expression mellows. "Ah. Well, have fun."

"Thanks." Draco turns to go. "You have ink on your face, by the way. I would have helped you with that, but since you mocked my cooking I don't think I will."

"A fitting punishment," Harry laughs, touching his fingers to the wrong cheek, and Draco grins over his shoulder before going home through the Floo.

* * *

"I'm just worried about him," Draco tells Paul later, over dinner. "People think he's some indomitable force because he's, you know, Harry Potter, and maybe to a degree he is, but he's still...human. He still gets burnt out and tired, and I know he'll take good care of Teddy, he always does, but he's not always the best at taking care of himself when he gets like this."

"Hmm." Paul takes a sip of his wine, then sets the glass on the table. He scrutinizes Draco's face. "What do you want to do about it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you could offer to watch Teddy for him, even though he's with Harry this month," Paul says with a smile. "On Saturdays maybe, so that he's not trying to do all his schoolwork after Teddy is in bed."

Draco blinks at him. "That's...a brilliant idea. You don't mind? We usually spend Saturdays together when Teddy is with Harry."

"No," Paul shrugs and picks up his fork, going back to his pasta. "We can still have dinner together on weeknights, it's not a problem."

"I'll ask him about it." Draco hesitates before offering, "Would you, er, would you like to meet them? Harry and Teddy? Then we could still spend Saturdays together, with Teddy..."

Paul looks up and gives him another warm smile. "I would love to, but only if you're sure you feel ready for me to meet them."

Draco feels himself physically relax at Paul's response. He's not sure that he is ready just yet, but he wants to be. He thinks he will be, soon.

"Okay," he says, smiling back.

Paul nods, and they change the subject.

"Do you want to stay over?" Draco asks when they're finished cleaning up after dinner.

Paul leans over and kisses his temple. "Can't, I'm afraid. I've got an early morning meeting at Gringotts." Paul reaches for his coat and pulls it on.

"I understand," Draco says, and he means it. He doesn't really know exactly what Paul does at Gringotts, but he knows that working with the goblins can be tricky and being in top form for his meetings with them is important to Paul.

"I'll see you at my place for dinner the night after tomorrow, though?" Paul pulls him close and kisses him chastely, brushing a thumb over his cheek.

"Of course," Draco says, and he smiles before leaning in for another kiss.

See? He tells himself. Happy.