"He’s alright. You did the right thing.”
Remus lets out a breath.
“I’ve never had a child, I don’t know what I’m doing.” He tells Poppy. She pats his arm.
“I know. You did well.”
Draco’s in bed, curled around an enormous hot water bottle. Another is at his back, a heated blanket over the top of the whole thing. Bill had recognised the symptoms of hypothermia early enough, and Remus had left the funeral to get Draco warmed up again at home.
When did Grimmauld place become his and Draco’s home?
“Can you believe what a little bastard he was just a year ago?” Poppy asks quietly.
“ Poppy. ” Remus says reproachfully, but smiling still as he remembers Draco at 13 wearing a sling he clearly didn’t need.
“Harry always was his weakness.”
“Harry was everyone’s weakness.”
Poppy hums.
“I remember when you were that age.” She says, packing up her things. “You were quite the little terror yourself.”
“We all grow up.” Remus says distractedly. “Draco will grow up too, and soon.”
“He’s a man.” Poppy says. “A very young one, but still.”
“And then I’ll just be an old man, wasting away in a home I’ve no right to.” Remus says, rubbing his eyes. “I wasn’t meant to outlive any of my friends, let alone all of them.”
“You’re being dramatic.” Poppy tells him firmly. “I don’t know how the five of you managed school as well as you did. You’re all drama queens.”
“Makes things fun.” Remus says sadly.
Poppy sits down on the side of the bed, looking at Remus leaning against the nightstand.
“Are you alright?” She asks him gently, and he’s sixteen again, the morning after having almost murdered Severus Snape. His spine crackles as he hunches his back.
“I’m…” He sighs. “Yeah.”
“I’m glad you’re not alone this time.” She tells him. “You shouldn’t be alone.”
“Yeah, I’ve got an emotional child depending on me for his wellbeing.” Remus says, eyes drifting over to Draco’s red-flushed cheeks. At least he has colour again. “Who thought it was a good idea to let me look after Draco Malfoy?”
“He did.” Poppy reminds him. “He came to you. He trusted you. And you’re doing a good job.”
“He’s miserable.”
“His boyfriend just died.”
Remus sighs again.
“Remember what he said in Surrey? You’re the only adult he can remember who hasn’t treated him like shit?”
“Technically, Alastor hasn’t done anything.” Remus points out.
“His body did. It doesn’t matter to Draco who was inside it, he remembers that face. I can’t believe I ever found that funny. Minerva was fuming.”
Remus looks at Draco’s peacefully sleeping face.
“Was he really that bad? I hardly remember him being anything worse than a little annoying.”
“Hm, let’s see.” Poppy says lightly. “Sent at least one Gryffindor to the hospital every term. Terrorised poor Neville Longbottom for five years. Broke Harry’s nose last year. There was that thing you saw with the Dementor costumes, but every year, he caused some sort of scene on the Quidditch pitch.”
