What If? -Drarry

Part Four: Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Harry grinned at Draco when he entered the meeting room, feeling pleased when the gesture was returned. The simple exchange would have seemed out of the question when Harry had first started visiting, but over the months since he'd been seeing Draco, a friendship had solidified between the two. Before Harry reached the table where Draco sat, he placed Teddy on the ground, and watched proudly as he walked on shaky legs towards his cousin. Grinning, Draco reached out to Teddy as he neared the table, and as soon as he was close enough, swung him up into the air.

"You clever, clever little thing!" Draco said, "You're the finest walker I ever saw!"

"Certainly an improvement, isn't it?" Harry said happily, remembering the last time Teddy had attempted to walk while they visited Draco. "No nosebleeds today, fingers crossed."

Draco grimaced, settling Teddy onto his knee. "Let's hope so. How've you been?"

"Actually... pretty good," Harry smiled. "I'm going to start coaching twice a week now."

It had been Draco who'd suggested, a week or so after Harry and Ginny had broken up, that Harry should try volunteering to give him something to do. It was the first time anyone had thought of it - most people just told Harry that he needed to just get a job and stop slouching around - and when Harry had seen an advertisement for a volunteer to help coach a kid's Quidditch team, he'd taken it as a sign. A month and a half later, it still surprised him how good it felt to be doing something productive.

"I'm so glad you're enjoying it," Draco smiled. "I don't want to say I told you so, but..."

"Yeah, yeah," Harry rolled his eyes. "I know you did."

"One of these days, you'll finally realise that I am always right."

"Oh, step off," Harry waved Draco away good-naturedly. "So. How're things on your end?"

"Same old, same old, I guess. I saw Blaise on Monday. Did I tell you he's starting a newspaper?"

"Yeah?"

"He got into the idea of journalism, but he's the sort of guy who likes to be his own boss, so he wants to actually own the company, and that means creating it himself. Never one to do things by halves, old Blaise."

Harry nodded, impressed. "I hope he's successful. A good newspaper is a rare and brilliant thing."

"If anyone can do it, he can. But he needs sponsors and investors, and he seems to be having trouble finding them."

"Really? You'd think that everyone would be a bit more careless with money now, when the post-war feeling is all about."

"Thing is, a lot of people want to start their own newspaper at the moment, seeing as the Profit's gone, so it's hard for him to stand out."

"I see." Harry said. "Well, hopefully he'll get something sorted. I'm sure he will."

"Yeah. He'll figure something out." Draco focussed on playing with Teddy for a few minutes, before saying off-handedly; "In other news, I started seeing a psychiatrist."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Why?"

"Why?" Draco snorted. "Harry, I'm about as fu- messed up-" Draco corrected the swear word for Teddy's sake, "as a human being can possibly be."