Favoring The Brave {Drarry}

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"Val?"

"Hi, Harry. How're the boys?"

He pulls the phone away from his ear to check and make sure that he isn't just losing his mind.

"They're fine. Why'd you ask? I mean, I hope you're doing well too, but...why?"

"Yeah, Harry," she chuckles."I'm good. I just heard about the tour. The first concert is tomorrow, innit? Just wanted to know how the boys were adjusting."

"Oh." There's a fond smile on Harry's face. "Well that's good to hear. And yeah, the boys are great. They're teens so of course they're doing great. They think this is the coolest thing to ever happen to them. I'm still leary about the bigger crowds."

"Any particular reason, Mr. Saviour?" she's asking as a joke but he can hear the concern in her voice. She doesn't even know the full story, who knows if she ever will, but she's concerned and his smile turns softer. A little more sad.

"Trauma," he says with a shrug. "War stuff. Child celebrity stuff. The works. What're you up to? Planning on coming to the concert tomorrow?"

"Absolutely not. I don't know if you know this, Harry, but your boyfriend and I don't really get along."

"You both just have really strong personalities."

"I just hate the way he treats you," she argues.

"It's more the way he treats himself," Harry says softly. "I just have my own bundle of mental health that contradicts that. You should seriously come to the concert. I know the boys would love to see you. And I think you and Draco keep meeting on the wrong foot."

"Hard pass. But I'm glad Teddy and Jamesie are okay. I was really just calling to see how they were." Her voice is sincere and Harry's heart thrums at the fact she still cares about his sons. "They just recently got out of school, yeah? I've been working, but I wanted to know how James' first year went. He wrote me a couple of letters, but I'm not quite sure how owl mail works. I was hoping I would be able to talk to him. Will you tell them I called?"

"Of course. I can have them call you back once we're headed back to the bus. I mean, if that's alright?"

"Yeah, that'd be great. Bye, Harry."

The phone clicks and he stares at it lost for a moment before getting up to go back into the studio. Before he can the door opens from the hall and there's running.

"Hey, dad!" Teddy says, dodging a— was that a shoe?— as he runs into one of the back rooms. "Bye, dad."

"Hey, Ted?" he says confused before another body barrels in.

"Hi, dad!" James Lucius this time, missing a shoe. He runs past and throws open the door to the back room where Teddy let's out a totally manly squeak. "Bye, dad!"

"Hey, James." And he doesn't ask whats going on, can't because the door to the hall opens again and Draco stands there tired and sweaty but beaming as he crosses over to place a quick kiss on Harry's lips and grab a bottle of water from the mini fridge.

"I nailed it!" says Draco happily. "We had to run through the song a couple more times, just to be sure, but the last three times I did it perfectly!"

"That's brilliant, love," Harry says standing up and giving his fiancé a kiss back. "But you really need a shower now."

The blond snorts a laugh.

"Oh, everyone's a critic." He's peeling off his sweaty joggers and tank top and throwing on his post-workout robe. Because of course Draco Malfoy has a post-workout robe. Harry tries not to notice the fact that Draco hasn't been wearing pants under his sweats all day. He can still feel his cheeks heating up. The man turns to speak to him, but he's focused on the phone in his hand, not Harry's rapidly warming face. "Did you ever find our boys?"

"They ran in one of the back rooms. James is throwing shoes at Teddy," he says and the blond man looks up from his phone slowly to raise an eyebrow at him. "I didn't care enough to ask. They'll figure it out."

"Your sheer gryffindork optimism has always astounded me."

"But it worked out for you, didn't it? You're a big muggle music star now." Harry's hands are on his waist as he smiles up at him. "Admit it. I called it."

"Speaking of called... Are you alright? You looked kind of spooked by that phone call." Draco's hands are on his shoulders and he's trying to catch his gaze. Harry shrugs.

"It was Val."

"Your ex-girlfriend Val or Val, your new baby niffler," he teases and Harry can tell that he's tense but he can also tell that Draco trusts him implicitly. Probably way more than he should. He can tell that Draco wants them to do more honest and open communication. Lack of that is why they keep fucking up.

"Val, my ex," Harry forces out with a chuckle. "Stop being a git."

"So what's going on? Is she okay? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, actually. She heard about the tour. Wanted to see how the boys were handling it, talk to James about his first year. She said he's been sending her letters, but she never knew how to respond by carrier owl."

"Does she want to come to the concert tomorrow and see them?" Draco asks, and there's no undercurrent of anger or animosity, even when Harry starts looking for it. He's just curious, eager to help. Still running high on the ends of a good rehearsal. "I can get some tickets emailed to her. She can bring some friends. VIP so she can come backstage and talk with you and the boys. I really don't mind."

"I know you don't," Harry says and he's surprised that he means it. That they both do. "She uh...she doesn't think she's on the best terms with you."

"It doesn't matter what kind of terms she's on with me. She cares about our sons. She was there for them and for you when I couldn't be, when I was too bloody stubborn to be, and I respect her for that. If she wants to come check on the boys, by all means, tell her to."

The darker man is shaking his head in awe.

"Who are you and what have you done with Draco Malfoy?"

"Oh, haven't you heard? The names DL Black. He's a much more mature bloke."

Harry snorts.

"Somehow I doubt that."

Draco scoffs before kissing him lightly on the lips again and walking towards his main dressing room.

"I'm going to shower." He turns back around a coy smile on his face, dropping the robe from his shoulder a bit as he looks over it. "Care to join me?"

"That ever worked before?" asks Harry through a laugh as he steps forward to grab the taller man's hand and be dragged along to the bathroom.

"I was going for coy spontaneity, Potter. Don't ruin it."

"Oh, of course not. I'm only here for moral support and coy spontaneous shagging. Don't mind me."

"You're an absolute troll," Draco says, but he pulls him into the bathroom before closing the door anyway.

-&-

hey futher muckers

this is for SnowWolf_Goddess Inheritance21 & the rest of you who know im trash when it comes to updating on time, but love me anyway

i actually have an idea of where this story is going in the future
it was vague before, buttttttt now...
*creepy grin*

anyways! hope you lot enjoyed this chappie
love y'all

-- angel janeé xoxo 💋