Drarry - Baby Steps

Walking.

The sun is setting over the Burrow. Harry insisted on not having a big party for his birthday, but nonetheless everyone is assembled at the Weasleys' home.

Andromeda and Molly prepared a buffet together, and a makeshift Quidditch pitch has been set up. They've been playing for hours, shifting positions and teams when one match is over. Right now, Ron and Ginny are the opposite keepers. Charlie, Bill, George and Neville are Beaters - Neville's ability to keep himself on a broom has increased since Year One, and he finds that swinging a bat to hit Bludgers is almost the same as decapitating snakes with the sword of Godric Gryffindor. Seamus and Dean do their best as Chasers, but they don't compare Katie and Angelina, who soar through the air with ease.

One of the Seekers is blond, the other has dark unruly hair.

More often than not a player stops midway in the air to avoid crashing into someone else, making it a very soft and friendly game. There are laughs instead of screams and accuses of unfair play.

Hermione and Luna stand next to the buffet, pumpkin juices in their hands.

"It's great weather to play. Almost no nargles all around!" Luna remarks, swaying on her feet. She's wearing a short and colourful dress with bells attached to the bottom seam. It's only a matter of time before she'll get together with Andromeda to talk fashion.

"Do you know what occurred to me just now?" Hermione asks, a mischievous smile playing around her lips as she watches the match.

"Hm?" Luna turns around and decides to start paying attention.

"I figured Harry's type out. Look!" Pointing to the pitch, where Harry and Draco have simultaneously started racing upwards after something invisible to Hermione's eye, she starts grinning proudly: "All of his past and present crushes just so happen to be talented and passionate Seekers. Draco, Ginny, even Cho Chang..."

Luna contemplates the news, and nods. "Well then, Charlie Weasley ought to watch out if Harry and Draco don't work out."

They appear to be working out just fine, though. At the same time, they reach the snitch and their hands close around it in a handshake. Draco pulls Harry closer, stealing a kiss. "That's not where the snitch is, you know." Harry teases, "Keep looking."

They decide to give both teams the points for catching the snitch, so they cancel each other out and leave Ginny's team to be the winner this round. She high-fives her teammates, Draco first of all and dances around Ron with a self-sufficient look on her freckled face.

George starts whistling the tune to "Weasley is our king", making Ron blush furiously while Ginny only enjoys herself more. Angelina and Katie disappear to get drinks for everyone, Bill leaves to check on Fleur in the living room, whose tummy is the size of a melon.

Arthur congratulates them on another great match. "Neville, you absolutely stole the show. Dean and Seamus, so will you if you keep trying!"

"Uh, thanks?" Seamus cocks an eyebrow, but Dean only laughs.

Everybody grows quiet when another guest appears on the Weasleys' doorstep. Narcissa Malfoy clears her throat, and tucks some strands of grey hair behind her ears. She still carries herself with dignity, but she seems much smaller than before the war. "I don't mean to intrude." Her voice is clear and sincere, "I just came to say Happy Birthday to my son's boyfriend. And to apologise."

Molly gets to her before Harry can, wrapping her in a brief hug and telling her she's welcome. A tear rolls down Narcissa's cheek when she spots her sister across the room. She shakes Harry's hand and embraces her son, and everybody respects it when she walks over to Andromeda. It's obvious these two have a lot to catch up on.

Draco and Harry make their way to the porch, where Teddy's sleeping in his crib in the soft evening sun. His hair is ginger, to no one's surprise. But he kept Draco's nose, and Harry's green eyes. The baby's morphing powers never fail to amaze either of the boys.

"He looks peaceful." Draco says, relaxing at the sight.

Tentatively, Harry laces his fingers through Draco's and smiles. "He's a lucky kid, isn't he?" He pauses, looking at his godson affectionately. Then he continues: "He's got two dads, three grandmothers, like twenty aunts and uncles, and all of them love him." With a look back at his own childhood, Harry could feel jealous, but he's simply glad that he gets the chance to do better by someone.

It'd be a wild exaggeration to say everything is okay again. But more than anyone Harry knows that change and improvement come in tiny steps at a time. And this day is another baby step towards being okay.