The Babysitter

The Complexities and Confusion of Sitting a Baby

"Ababa!!" One of the babies waggled her arms around. (Malfoy and Harry couldn't find a difference between the twins.)
"You want up?" Harry grinned at her.
"What's that mean?" Draco murmured.
Harry answered by picking the baby up. Her facial expressions seemed like Chloe's.
"Chloe?" Harry tested. She gave him a gummy smile. Harry gasped dramatically. "I knew it!" He bounced her around. "I knew it was you!" He spun her around in his arms, making her giggle.
Malfoy was leaning against the doorframe, the ghost of a smile on his lips.
"Chloe, I'm handing you over to Draco now. Don't scream." Harry held the baby out in front of him.
Malfoy stood straight, surprised.
"I-I can't. Potter, I suck." He backed away as Harry came closer. Chloe started laughing again. "Look, she's laughing, she can smell fear."
"Are you saying you're afraid of babies?" Harry cackled.
"Wha-no.."
"Just take her."
"Potter-"
Harry pushed Chloe into Draco's chest. "I'm letting go," he warned. Draco's eyes widened as he held the baby. Harry liked seeing him relax.
"Oh." He whispered. "Oh!" He bounced the baby like Harry had. Chloe didn't laugh, but she didn't cry either.
"Make faces," Harry offered.
Draco tilted his head like a confused puppy. Chloe squirmed in his arms. As an example, Harry took off his glasses and crossed his eyes, sticking his tongue out. Both Draco and the baby laughed. Harry didn't get his glasses back on in time.
Do it again, he found himself thinking to Draco. I need to see you laugh.
He looked away from Draco and picked Penelope up out of the crib.
They sat with the girls on the floor for a while. Malfoy learned the difference between dogs and babies. Harry enjoyed the view.
Well, that's a weird way of putting it, but it's very accurate. He was not sure what changed about his feelings towards his nemesis. It didn't feel like anything changed, maybe everything was just coming out now. Now that they were on the same side, and Harry can finally sort it all out.
"What?" Draco scratched his neck. Harry had been staring at him.
"Malfoy's a funny name," he blurted out. Draco looked down at Chloe. Harry realized he wasn't smiling. He'd meant it as a joke. He was joking.
"Harry Potter isn't much better," Malfoy shrugged. His hair fell onto his face. When it wasn't slicked back it was actually kind of long. Harry hadn't noticed earlier.
"I like your hair," he cringed at his attempt to recover from the half-hearted banter.
Malfoy awkwardly pushed some of his perfect blonde hair behind his ear. His face was all cute and pink again.
"How're the Weasels?" Malfoy changed the subject.
"They're ok... I actually haven't spoken to them all summer." Penelope's loud happy screaming made it easier to say out loud.
"Granger either?" His face was hard to read.
"Yeah- um, can we change the subject again?"
"Yeah, sure. Sorry."
"Wingardium Leviosa." Harry made some of the girls' toys float in the air. They crawled around the room chasing them.
"Did you actually call me Draco before?" His hair slipped out from behind his ear. Harry shrugged.
"That is your name, yeah?"
"It's a funny name, apparently," Malfoy muttered.
"I didn't really mean to say it like that," Harry said. "I'm just not very good at jokes, I guess." Malfoy smirked, making Harry look away with hot cheeks.
"You're such an idiot, Potter. No joke."
   Harry didn't understand why he felt so weird around Malfoy. He wanted to look at Draco's face and figure it out. But that'd be too... what-obvious? It's not like this was high school. And anyway, he didn't have a crush on Malfoy.
"Stop," Malfoy glared.
"I'm not doing anything," Harry returned the look.
"You keep looking at me-"
"waAA!" Penelope was screaming again.
   She had caught her doll and was hanging from it in the air. Fortunately she had a death grip, although Harry actually had trouble getting her to let go of the toy. Malfoy took Harry's wand from where he sat and spelled the toys to fall back onto the ground.
"I'm so sorry," Harry kept saying as Penelope swatted at him, screaming. She managed to fling his glasses into Malfoy's head. He put her back on the floor.
"Merlin, that kid has strength," Malfoy said, rubbing his forehead.
   Harry sat back on the floor, but this time next to Draco against the wall. He took his glasses back from Draco.
"Sorry to you too." He almost reached his hand out to him.
"'S fine," Draco replied. "I deserve it."
"Deserve? You didn't do anything, Malfoy."
   Malfoy's eyes flashed with emotion before he turned away, rubbing his left forearm.
"Are you starving or is it just me?" He stood, holding onto the doorframe for support.
   Harry suddenly remembered the month Dudley discovered four different ways to make Harry throw up after dinner.
"I am always starving," Harry smiled.

You can heat up the Mac and cheese in the fridge, or else I have PB&J. Help yourself to my dessert cabinet :)
- Rose
Was written on a post-it note stuck to the fridge.
"Malfoy," Harry looked at him, "I'm going to introduce to you The Microwave." As expected, Draco looked thoroughly perplexed. It was adorable.

Harry could see him jump from the corner of his eye every time the microwave made a noise.
"Malfoy?" He turned his head in time to see Draco startle again.
"Do you think maybe you could call me something else?" Draco asked quietly.
"Like what?" Death Eater? Pure-blood?
"Like my first name," he glared.
The microwave beeped again. Their Mac and cheese was ready.
"Motherf... why is that so loud?" He clutched his chest.
"Draco?" Harry said quietly as he took the big bowl of pasta out of the microwave.
"Yes, Potter."
He placed the bowl and two forks down on the table.
"Are you always this anxious?" He fidgeted with his fork. "You get so freaked out every time there's a noise."
"I'm usually worse, believe it or not," Draco answered even quieter.
He took his fork and stared at it. Harry wanted to hug him. (And hold him and kiss his sodding face.)
"Do you... I mean, is there anything you can do about it?" Harry had days where everything was big and frightening and his skin would be filled with sand. He hated it, of course, and he always wondered if there was a cure.
"Well nothing now. My wand..." Draco bit at his bottom lip, putting his fork back onto the table.
"I'm sorry about that, Draco." Harry tried to smile.
"Yeah, everyone's always so sorry— y-you called me Draco again." The end of the sentence seemed more like a question.
"That is your name."
"Can I do something completely out of character?"
"We've been out of character this entire day, I think."
It was completely out of character. Harry had never expected Draco to give him a hug. He never expected Draco to push his nose up against the side of his neck. Nor was he expecting to start crying.