Ageless

Reuniting

Harry stood nervously in the dark. Albus and Scorpius had went ahead to let everyone know about Draco so that he wouldn't come as a surprise. He breathed a sigh of relief when Scorpius ran out to wave them in. As Harry crossed the threshold, he was engulfed in a warm hug. He knew then that everything would be alright. Molly leaned back far enough to look at him properly. Her surprise was mirrored on her husband's face as he stood behind her. "I can't believe it. You look just like you did when you left." She squeezed him again before ushering him inside. "Come along," she said as she pulled Draco into the house. "You're welcome here." She turned to head to the kitchen, muttering to herself along the way, "I never thought I'd say that to a vampire, but life is full of surprises."

Arthur hugged Harry and shook Draco's hand. "They're in the living room. The kids are excited, but Ron looks a bit hot."

"Thanks Mr. Weasley," Harry murmured as he made his way into the cozy living room. He watched James and Lily as they realised he had entered the room. He was looking for anger, but all he saw was surprise and relief. 

James stood slowly, seemingly unsure of how to proceed. Lily ran across the room, hugging him so tightly his back cracked. He squeezed her as well, much the same as Molly had done to him. Reaching past her, he pulled James into the hug. "I thought Albus was full of shit, but I look like I could be your dad," James whispered. 

"You don't look that much older than me," Harry laughed nervously. He didn't really know what to say. He hasn't realized how much he had missed them. 

"I feel that much older," James chuckled as he stepped back. His smile came easy and he was carefree in a way that reminded Harry of the pictures he had of his father. He looked more like the first James Potter than Harry ever had. 

When Lily finally released her grip, Harry took a moment to actually look at her. She looked so much like Ginny, but he saw himself in her as well. He knew he’d never be able to make up for all the time he had lost, but he wanted to try. As he looked behind her, he saw Hermione waiting for her hug. He reached for his best friend and smiled as she hugged him tightly. Ron stood awkwardly to the side, looking both angry and relieved. He pulled Harry into a rough hug before releasing him and smacking the back of his head. He grinned for a split second until he heard the warning growl from Draco. 

“Back up Uncle Ron,” Albus said. “He’s ridiculously fast and extremely protective of dad.” He grabbed Ron’s sleeve and pulled him away from Harry. 

“I apologise,” Draco muttered, earning a surprised look from Ron and Hermione. “Sometimes, my instincts get the best of me. We all know that I’ve always been impulsive when it comes to Harry.” He made a show of adjusting his sleeves. “It’s more difficult to maintain control with so many people around.”

“I can’t say that I’m surprised that the two of you found each other,” a familiar voice said from the doorway to the kitchen. Ginny stepped into the room. She moved to hug Harry, but backed away quickly with her hands up when Draco growled possessively. “I won’t hurt him, I promise,” she said softly. 

“I know you won’t, but I’d prefer it if you didn’t touch him,” Draco hissed, his voice straining. He pulled Harry closer, ignoring his slight huff of protest. “I don’t think me being here is such a good idea. It’s been a long time since I’ve been around this many people and I’m having an issue with control.”

You’ll be fine, Ferret,” Ron said putting his hand on Draco’s shoulder. “No one touch Harry,” he announced to the room. “It makes the Ferret uncomfortable and if he wants to leave, Harry will go with him.” He pointed to Harry, “You. Sit down over there.” He pointed to an empty sofa. “You,” he said pointing at Draco, “Sit beside him.” He looked pleased when they actually listened. “Alright, then. Let’s talk.”

They spent the next few hours talking and catching up. Harry was thrilled that his family had been so forgiving and Draco was surprised to find that he was enjoying himself. Shortly after two, Harry noticed that everyone was yawning and struggling to stay awake. They said their goodbyes and made plans to see each other again soon.