Tweak

InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "DRECK!"

draco_draconis (draco_draconis) wrote in hogwarts_dawn,
@ 2021-03-19 16:22:00

Entry tags:

character: draco malfoy, character: harry potter

RP: Harry & Draco
Who: Harry & Draco
When: evening , 19th March.
Where: Harry's Room
What: Draco is a Distraction

Draco knocked on Harry's door, but didn't wait for him to answer to go inside. It had become sort of a tradition for them. Draco more or less left Harry alone during the day, but every evening he showed up at his door. Draco took his job as distraction very seriously, and he wasn't going to let Harry forget about him. These roles had been pretty well set, and Draco couldn't complain. He liked spending the evenings in Harry's rooms, talking and doing other things. Not as many other things as Draco would have preferred, but he was willing to wait for that too. For a while, at least.

"I'm here, stop working now." He gave Harry a smirk and took his place on the couch, letting Harry wrap up whatever he was doing. He wasn't completely inconsiderate, after all .

(Post a new comment)

ab_harry
2021-03-20 12:14 am UTC (link)

Harry wasn't working as much as he should have, not the last few days, because he'd gotten distracted by his children, and marriages and all right so maybe his work and personal life were connected more than he liked to admit.

When Draco arrived he was just making a list of things he wanted to cover starting Monday, but it wasn't anything that was time sensitive. He put down his quill and went to the couch, sitting next to Draco. "I'm officially done for the weekend. Short of something happening, you have me until Monday. Well, okay you don't, because I'm sure something will come up."

He brushed Draco's hair. "So what do you want to do?"

(Reply to this) (Thread)

draco_draconis
2021-03-20 12:42 am UTC (link)

Draco tucked a leg underneath himself and turned his full attention to Harry.

"You're so optimistic Potter. I suppose I'll just have to settle for you undivided attention now."

He smiled as Harry played with his hair, grinning.

"I can think of a few things." He reached out and squeezed Harry's knee gently. "Or there's the tried and true. Talk about our days, have a drink, a little heavy petting. How is being in charge of all of wizarding Britain going?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ab_harry
2021-03-20 12:52 am UTC (link)

"I'm sorry, but have you been me?" he asked with a snort. "I couldn't even finish assignments in time, because things happened. Life has not gotten better." He even got patronuses from children he didn't know to interrupt his evening.

He accioed the firewhiskey and two glasses and put them on the coffee table. He poured the liquor and handed Draco a glass before taking his. "Let's start with the drinking. I haven't had time enough to drink." He knew that his drinking habits were changing. He could feel it in the tremors that stared midday, and then he knew that it was time to drink again. "Starting Monday, we'll see how the rest of the world sees us. I'm sure it will not be a pretty sight, but for now, I'm still ignoring things." There was nothing that they could do anyway.

"What about you? Any sudden revelations about your new career? Apparently you can be a trophy husband soon enough," he said with a snort. "The children come all grown."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

draco_draconis
2021-03-20 12:59 am UTC (link)

Draco swirled the liquid and took a very small sip. He would drink this one glass, Harry would have a few more. Draco's tolerance was going up, Harry was drinking less, all in all Draco was happy with it.

"Mmm, trophy husband. That's the job I was born to do. Especially skipping the child rearing." Not that he hadn't been wondering what it would be like. Ever since he'd met Scorpius. He'd never seen himself as a father, but maybe... Maybe.

"I have though. I think I could do some good in the Treasury. I'm not sure Duke should be alone there."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ab_harry
2021-03-20 01:20 am UTC (link)

"Apparently I should have skipped having children," he said. He still haven't talked to Jamie and it was obvious that Albus was rather shocked by the fact that they had talked. Ginny had been traveling for work,, he's been out working. They must have been parents of the year. Not. "Proof that want you want and what you need are two different things."

Harry should learn to be more diplomatic, especially now that he was Minister, but should and would were very different and he made a face. "Treasury? Seriously? I guess. It's not like any department is really going to be busy until we open up with the rest of the world but treasury? With all your magical talents, you want to sit down and do number?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

draco_draconis
2021-03-20 01:25 am UTC (link)

"Did you talk to your son's?" It sounded like it hadn't gone well. "They may just still be shell shocked. It could be better than you think?"

He shrugged, taking another small sip.

"I mean, no, I don't want to work in the Treasury. But Harry, eventually the greater wizarding world is going to know who we all are. Do you actually want me in a prominent, front facing sort of job in your new Ministry? You know what they're going to write about me. Us. I don't care, but I also don't want to put a stain on it all before we even get off the ground."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ab_harry
2021-03-20 01:31 am UTC (link)

"I talked to Albus and they weren't shell shocked. I was crap. I wasn't around, apparently hated him for being in Slytherin, which makes no sense, don't really talk to him. He didn't say anything about his brother, but the way James wanted to get away from me, I assume that it wasn't any better," he said with a shrug.

He shrugged. "I want you where you can do something helpful. Crunching numbers is not really very you, is it? Work for Ron then. I still think that sooner or later, we will need a large MLE. This peace- it's not going to last. It never lasts. In fact, I keep thinking that everyone should have some training with Ron, or me, or Snape. Hell, he's not teaching until September. Let him do something and if people can hold their own against him, they are more than fine."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

draco_draconis
2021-03-20 01:40 am UTC (link)

That did sound pretty damming. Draco touched Harry's shoulder, then squeezed it gently.

"Well, this is your chance then. To have your relationship with them be different. And tell that son of yours he's clearly the only sensible Potter or Weasley ever born, if he ended up in Slytherin." His voice was gently teasing. Albus Potter was clearly important to Scorpius, so he had to be a good sort.

Working for Weasley wasn't exactly at the top of his list either. He'd made a decision to never hurt another person again, with his wand or otherwise. But maybe it would be different, using those skills for the right reasons. He'd learned a lot from Bellatrix, for better or worse, and from his father and Professor Snape.

"I could do that. Weasley's alright. I, uh..." He glanced at the ceiling. "I can't promise I'm good in a crises though. In the heat of things, my track record is freezing. Though, it could be that all those moments were things I knew I shouldn't do." Dumbledore. Those missions he'd gone on with Dolohov, and Bellatrix, and Greyback. The people they'd wanted him to hurt. He'd never managed it. He'd come back a failure over and over and over again. Been punished, and re-trained, and then failed again. What if he just couldn't do it, when it mattered the most?

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ab_harry
2021-03-20 01:57 am UTC (link)

"I will try. I talked to him, told him that I'd like to get to know him, but he's had a father, Draco. They aren't like me who never knew his parents. I grew up with this idea of what they were like, but I didn't really know. I've always wanted to meet them. My kids don't want anything to do with me." He shook his head. "I have no idea why I'd even hate him for sorting in Slytherin. I named him after Snape. It makes no sense."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "What exactly do you think Aurors - or any magical law officer - do? I've got one of the best records in the division and I've never killed anyone. Never. Even Voldemort, I didn't really kill him. I didn't cast the killing curse; he did. Because our wands were tied, it rebounded. He killed himself. I've been angry enough to cast the Cruciatus but I've cast the killing curse or killed anyone. It is possible to do your job by disarming and petrifying."

He smiled softly. "Dumbledore once told me that taking a life is the hardest thing anyone can do. Not being able to kill innocent people when you knew the consequences doesn't make you weak but brave."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

draco_draconis
2021-03-20 02:05 am UTC (link)

"Who could say what happens in the future." Draco shook his head. "You're right, it doesn't make sense. But it happened. Maybe it's better that you're not really their father. It sounds like they've got their opinion of him. So you can be something different. Scorpius is great, but I know I'll never be the father he wishes I was. I hope I can be something to him, but I know I can't force it either. Give your kids time, be around, you'll figure it out."

Draco blinked hard, pushing the memories away. He didn't like to think about that year. Or the year before. Or the first years after.

"Brave. Pah. That's your thing. I'm happy being a coward. It's gotten me this far." He smiled, a little shakily, because he was mostly joking. Mostly. The truth was somewhere in between. A different sort of bravery, maybe.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

ab_harry
2021-03-20 02:25 am UTC (link)

"The past," Harry said with a grin before taking another sip of his firewhiskey. "I don't know what happened and I will likely never know, but it's nagging at me, because it doesn't seem real." He shrugged. "It doesn't matter, does it? They already have opinions and even if I can change them, it won't change what they think of their father. No one should feel like that about their own parents. With all of the problems you and your father have, you still know that he loves you. They don't think that their father loves them. I can't make that right."

He was glad that Draco was getting along with Scorpius. "It sounds like he likes you, though and that means that you loved him and did it right. Not that I'm surprised." Lucius and Narcissa had shown just how far they'd go for Draco.

"I didn't say any of that. Dumbledore did. He went to great lengths to make sure that you wouldn't kill him," he said. "You did what was right, and that's the most important trait in an Auror."

(Reply to this) (Thread)

draco_draconis
2021-03-20 02:33 am UTC (link)

Draco looked down into his glass. There really wasn't anything he could say about that. His father did love him, and he did love his father. He was upset with him, he didn't condone anything he did, but he'd still grown up idolizing him. He wasn't the father Scorpius wanted, but that was because he and Draco's future self were so close.

"You probably can't," he agreed softly. "But that doesn't mean you can't all find something else." He smiled when Harry mentioned Scorpius. "I hope so. He's, he's great. He's living his own life, exactly the way he wants to. That takes guts."

Draco threw back half his drink, then immediately began coughing.

"Ahh, mistake!" He coughed a few more times, then sighed. "It's kind of horrible how wise Dumbledore was. Or maybe just how much he knew. Well. Sounds like I'm working for Weasley. I promise to play nice."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ab_harry
2021-03-20 06:22 pm UTC (link)

"Lack of hate?" Harry suggested. It wasn't in him to be so pessimistic about things, he always fought for a better future, but he also knew too well that you couldn't change the past. He'd never get his childhood back. His children would never have a loving father. They could move past that and become friends maybe but the love a child should have was gone for all of them.

He drained the glass and then got up, pacing like a caged animal. "I don't understand, Draco. I always wanted a family and I know what it's like to grow up without anyone loving you. Why did I do that? Why did I not make sure that they were loved? What happened to me? Was my marriage so terrible that neither of us wanted to be around? I don't get it."

Stopping he turned to look at Draco. "Look at you. When you talk about him, you tell me how amazing he is, how wonderful he is that he dressed like a woman, and that is a little weird but- Am I this judgemental? Actually don't answer that, I already know."

He couldn't help but smile a little. "You need to stop drinking. I don't know why I keep pouring a glass for you. It's more torture than being nice." He leaned against the old desk Filch had and shook his head. "I think Dumbledore was... not wise. Oh, he knew about life and death, about fighting the good fight and serving a higher purpose, but he would have been a crappy father. Maybe that's why I'm a crappy fight. I can save the world, but I don't know that I can deal with people who seem to have no ambition or purpose. A model, a baker, I haven't even asked what my kids do in fear of what the answer might be."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

draco_draconis
2021-03-20 07:28 pm UTC (link)

Draco put his glass down, then stood up and walked over to Harry. He pushed his wayward hair out of his face, then kissed him softly.

"I don't know what happened. Whether it was your marriage, or the world, or whatever else. But I do know that you, the you you are right now, wouldn't do those things. You can't change the past, and you know that. You can't change the future where those things happen either, because they are the past now. All you can do is make sure you never become those things in this future. You and I, we are the people who could have been those boys father's. But we're not them. You can't destroy yourself over something you didn't and will never do. So be upset about it if you need to, but don't let it dictate who you are. Talk to your kids. Be happy with whoever they turned out to be, because it makes them happy. Be there for them as a friend if you can. What else can they, or anyone, expect from you?"

He didn't comment on Dumbledore. He was a loaded figure for everyone.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ab_harry
2021-03-20 07:37 pm UTC (link)

"Except I did, Draco. These kids weren't born twenty years into my future but a year into my future. How did it go to hell in a year?" Harry asked. "So this faith you have? Totally not warranted, because I apparently would and did those things."

He huffed. "What if I can't be happy? What if I can't just accept? This might not be war, but come Monday when we start relations with other countries we have a different kind of war. It will require service and dedication. I'm not sure that I can be okay with people who are whining that they don't know how they can help. They are no better than those thousands of people who ignore Voldemort and let other people do the fighting. I'm not sure I can be friends with people who don't understand the importance of duty."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Maybe I am more like Dumbledore than I'd like to admit, but I read some of the comments in those journals and I want to hex people, but instead I close the journals and pretend that I didn't read it."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

draco_draconis
2021-03-20 07:46 pm UTC (link)

Draco stepped back a little, wanting to stay close but also aware of how Harry needed his space.

"Where happened with your kids isn't something that happened overnight. Or over a year. It would have happened gradually. Maybe you didn't even notice. Maybe those first few years you were an amazing father. Maybe you were overwhelmed immediately. Maybe you worked too much and drank too much, and it all sort of spiraled. The key word here is maybe. You don't know. You can't ever really know."

He thought about the rest of what he said more carefully. He didn't fully understand Harry's position here, but he did see how he came to it. Draco has been raised believing that he was important and could do anything he wanted. Harry had been raised believing his was nothing, until suddenly the world forced him to be everything.

"If you can't accept who they were, then ignore it. Help them now. Even if you can't accept the people they were before, when things were in theory at peace, can you acknowledge that they have lost everything and that rebuilding that is hard? Because trust me, it is. I've had years, and it's still hard. They've had days. A few weeks at most. They weren't raised in a war, and can you honestly say that's not good? Keep just closing the journals. They'll all find their place here eventually. They're not ignoring their duty, they just don't understand it yet. So instead of condemning them, teach them. I know you're a good teacher, when you want to be. Every member of your damn DA can attest to that."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ab_harry
2021-03-20 08:02 pm UTC (link)

"You're not really painting a very good picture there. Just pointing out that I fucked up over years and years." He didn't even acknowledge the drinking part, because he didn't drink too much but that wasn't something he wanted to discuss now. "Unless Ginny arrives from 2028, then it's unlikely that I'll get an answer, but that doesn't make it much better."

Harry sighed. "It's not even the who they were that worries, but the who will they become now. You can stand there and tell me that you'll support Scorpius no matter what, and I believe you. I really do. I read some of the replies from people and think that there's something seriously wrong with them."

He took another deep breath. "Maybe they'll surprise me and they'll be useful, right? Because if they tell me that it's hard, I will lose it. Imagine if I'd said that it's was hard to have no parents. It was hard to have an aunt and uncle who hated me. It was hard to fight Dark wizards on a yearly basis. Imagine if I'd just sat back complaining that it was hard. Where the hell would we be?" He ran his hands over his face. "Neville was a much better teacher. He always had more patience. Right, pretend that I'm not a crappy father who raised- Well I don't know what I raised, because I haven't asked." He just couldn't be nice to them and be terribly disappointed at the same time. He couldn't lie like that.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

draco_draconis
2021-03-20 08:09 pm UTC (link)

Draco thought there was probably a lot more wrong with Harry than there was with these pretty normal kids, or, well, most of them were his age and older but that didn't stop him from thinking of them as kids. And maybe that was the whole problem. Harry never really got to be a kid. He never got to worry about normal young people things. Everything was prophesy and the end of the world and everything and everyone relying on him. Draco couldn't fault him for any of that.

"I think we'd all have been completely fucked if you weren't who you are." He said truthfully, reaching out and running a hand down Harry's arm before it settled at his elbow.

"If you can't deal with the future people then I'll do it for you. I have a lot of experience with being self centered and having to relearn what's important. I'll even find out what your kids do, if you like. Scorpius will know. Then you can freak out about it in private, and talk to them about other things."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ab_harry
2021-03-20 08:18 pm UTC (link)

"Yes, because people shouldn't just say 'oh well, it's hard, let me ignore it'." He would never understand how people could turn a blind eye.

Harry snorted. "No you can't. Not really, but that's fine. I don't have to deal with them either. It's just these two particular ones that I need to worry about. The others are my responsibility in the sense that every student was Dumbledore's responsibility. I have to keep them alive; I don't have to be friends with them." Of course there were exceptions to that rule, but then those exception would know what to do.

"This is the real reason I'm minister and Ron is the Head of the MLE. Let him worry about getting people trained," he said with a chuckle. "I can just threaten foreign wizards that if they so much think that they will hurt anyone in this country, then they have to deal with me. It's been a while since I insulted much older people who superiority complexes. It'll be fun."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

draco_draconis
2021-03-20 08:25 pm UTC (link)

"That's the spirit," Draco laughed. He would still ask Scorpius what Albus and James' jobs were, just in case. It wouldn't do much for their relationship if Harry found out they were gossip journalists or something and completely lost it in front of them. Not that he expected they would be. Draco was sure their lives had been plagued by the things.

"You're very good at that. I'll never forget the time you told Snape he didn't have to call you Professor," He chuckled. Even at the time Draco had thought it was hilarious, though he'd never have admitted it then.

"I mean it though, if you need someone to specifically talk to the people who don't know what they want to do here I will. Despite my hesitance in choosing a job I can probably help them. Even if it's just letting them complain their hearts out so you don't have to hear it."

(Reply to this) (Parent)

ab_harry
2021-03-20 08:36 pm UTC (link)

"I'm not sure what's the spirit, but let's go with that." He knew he wouldn't change and if things happened, they happened. Trying to plan never worked too well and plans went out the windows more time than not.

"Snape was the easy one. I told your father off in second year. Fudge- Thinking about it, I told every minister we've had off, including Kingsley, and I liked him. I don't know why they think I need to listen to them, just because they are old," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Well, look through and journals and you can see those who haven't answered. Talk to them and see if they can do something useful. The last part being the operative word."

(Reply to this) (Thread)

draco_draconis
2021-03-20 08:44 pm UTC (link)

"Are you going to have to tell yourself off now, Mr. Minister?" He joked. "I almost feel bad for those other Ministries. Merlin knows they'll have plenty to say about us and what we're doing here, and they won't have a clue what's coming at them." Maybe it would actually be better, in a messed up way. Harry would have something external to fight, and he wouldn't have to worry about what the next Gen kids were up to. At least as much.

"I'll see what I can do about the ones holding out." If he remembered correctly it was his sons, Harry's sons, and Lupins son who hadn't signed up for anything yet. Maybe one or two others he hadn't remembered. He'd go back and check, then reach out to them. Maybe it would help. Maybe it wouldn't.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ab_harry
2021-03-20 08:53 pm UTC (link)

"Of course not because I'm always right," he said with a grin. "Oh screw them. If we wanted diplomacy, we would have sent your father. We have the entire world against us and we need food and magical products. Besides I want to get the goblins in the UK. If they see this as the perfect land of opportunities, us our currency as the main one, then everyone will be forced to deal with us. Why do you think I want to give goblins wands? Let the other countries say no, why we say yes." It was smart and it was the right thing to do.

"Good luck. You could start with your friend Nott and you can avoid Savannah. She does... everything before you ask her. I'm pretty sure she can run the entire government by herself." He lowered his voice. "She's even worse than Hermione. Hermione draws the line at parties and hugs."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

draco_draconis
2021-03-20 11:03 pm UTC (link)

"You know, you could make Savannah's job official. Then she doesn't need to worry about it." She was already acting as Harry's assistant. Might as well just let her keep at it.

"Theo I'll work on. He's probably already decided and just hasn't said for some reason or another." Or he wasn't chosing to make a statement. Or he forgot. Whatever it was he thought Theo would be the easiest one.

"But we don't need to worry about this right now. Work done for the weekend, remember?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ab_harry
2021-03-20 11:52 pm UTC (link)

"She doesn't want the job, that's the problem, but I'm not worrying about that since she's actually doing a job," he said chuckling. He knew what battles to pick after all.

"He's a strange bloke, isn't he?" Harry had a few exchanges and they had been polite but weird. "Fine, no more worrying. Do you want to go flying? Not our Nimbus, but there are brooms. Let's go have some fun."

(Reply to this) (Parent)