Favoring The Strong {Drarry}

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Watching the floo ring is murderous on Draco's nerves. As  and adult he understands that McGonagal must be busy as Headmistress, but as a parent he just wishes she would answer the bloody floo so he can see his youngest in person. Hold him while the kid goes through whatever it is that has him missing then so severely.

"Mr. Malfoy."

"It's Malfoy-Potter, if you will, Headmistress." Draco hasn't spoken to the woman since he was a student. She had spoken on his behalf at his trials just as Harry did, helping him to get free of a sentence harsher than returning for his eighth year with a required Muggle Studies lecture. Beyond that however, he was sure she liked him less now than she did when he was a student if only because he is no longer partially her responsibility and it's no longer within her duties to tell him to be safe or make sure he isn't acting like a ponce even if she's seen anything about it in the Daily Prophet.

"Of course," says McGonagal with a somewhat knowing smirk on her face. So she has seen the Prophet. "Mr. Malfoy-Potter, to what do I owe the intrusion?"

"It appears that James is having quite a tough time adjusting to Hogwarts with everything that's gone on in the last year."

"I am well aware of my students' difficulties."

"Well Harry and I both insist that—"

"Is that Minnie?" his husband says, pushing himself into the call.

"I thought you were speaking to JL."

"I finally got him to go grab a bite before he starved. What'd Minnie say?"

"Stop calling her that!"

"Why?"

"It's not proper!"

"You're not proper, you great twit. Let me speak to'er."

Draco rolled his eyes but moved out of the way with contrived reluctance. He was happy to get out of the way. McGonagal had been Harry's head of house after all. She was much more likely to listen to him.

"'Ello, Headmistress. You alright?"

"Hello, Mr. Potter," she's says smiling yet reluctant. Draco's learned years ago that Harry just has that effect on people. "I'm doing just fine. Now, is there a reason you both called?"

"There is actually. You see, James has been more than a bit out of it recently and—"

"All of the students experience a bout of homesickness when being far from home for a longer period of time than what they've grown accustomed to."

"Yeah," Harry says cutting off her lecture. "I'm sure that's the case for most students, but for the ones who have just gone through trauma it's just as easy for them to slink into the
background just to avoid talking about it. Poppy can't be doing physical healing and mind healing, that's too much for one person to handle. Has always been too much."

"And what are you proposing I do, Mr. Potter?"

"Would it be... well I know it's a bit unorthodox, but could we come check in on him?"

"Check in on him!?" Draco thinks that maybe this is the first time he's heard McGonagal truly surprised. "At Hogwarts!?"

"Well he isn't allowed into Hogsmeade yet. We won't interrupt his schedule or anything. Actually, Professor, I was thinking we could step in to teach a few classes or help out around the castle while we're there."

"Help...out?" echoes Draco confused after hearing this got the first time just now.

"I could probably teach a few Defense classes and help Poppy out in the Hospital Wing. Take some of the stress off."

"What?" says the blond still stuck on the idea that Harry has actually thought this through. Has apparently been thinking it through before James Lucius has even called. He feels just as fooled as McGonagal seems to be, but something about that is pleasant. He knows he isn't too fond of surprises but knowing that Harry is always thinking of their family and ways to work with and for them, especially in front of others at times like this, warms his heart.

"Draco could probably help teach Potions or the fun parts of History that Binns always leaves out maybe even some Muggle Studies since he's spent years passing as a Muggle musician."
And none of those would be too strenuous on his already exhausted magical core, Draco adds mentally.

The room is quiet as the Headmistress seems to honestly be considering Harry's idea. She nods a few times and looks away from them as though she's taking advice from portraits of previous Headmasters that the three of them know line the interior of her office.

They sit there in the mostly silent room for upwards of five minutes waiting for her to come to a conclusion, though Harry's face shows that he knows he has won her over. After five minutes of fire crackling in empty space, she lets out a sigh and agrees.

"I don't see how this can go any worse than your first seven years here. I'll see you both in about a week."

Harry's smile is proud but a bit cocky as if he'd somehow known she would give in all along.

"I've married a lunatic," Draco says staring at him in awe once McGonagal has ended the floo call on her end.

"A brilliant lunatic?" Harry tries with a smirk on his face.

"How'd you know she would agree?" Because he had to have known. He was too sure of himself. He was sure the same way he was when he teased Draco, like he knew Draco would never stop loving him because he'd never stop loving him right back.

"Minnie's been trying to get me to teach properly for years. I was just giving her what she wanted anyway. It's a fair trade both ways."

"How very Slytherin of you."

"D'you think?"

"Oh , absolutely. It was despicable."

"You love it."

"Never said I didn't."

They're smiling at each other hungrily, inching slightly closer to each other when the floo goes off again. Harry answers because no matter how Slytherin the man can be sometimes, he's a thickheaded Gryffindor through and through.

"Dads?" It's James again, voice soft and eyes flitting back and forth between their faces.

"We're here," Harry assures him. And soon there wouldn't be a fireplace between them.

-&-

sup futher muckers

its been ages, i know
but its the last 5 or so chaps of this fic think we should just go ahead and wrap'em up

hows everyone been?
yall miss me?
done anything interesting over the last coupla months?

anywayssss as always
hope y'all enjoyed
love y'all
blm & sah ✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿

-- angel janeé xoxo 💋