Angel on the Cover chapter 20
Chapter 20
"You’re going to change the world for him, aren't you?"
He chewed over Harry's words at the breakfast table the next morning. His lover was busy inhaling his kippers and eggs, smiling at him between bites and gulps of his coffee.
Their appointment with Poppy had purposely been to chase away any negative feelings they may have encountered at the manor, but it had done much more than that.
He repeated the question in his head again. Was he going to try to change the world for his son? Was there a way to sweep away the prejudices of families with long ingrained mottos of pureblood superiority? It seemed a feat too large to accomplish, but he knew he was prepared to try to make at least a dent.
He wasn't going to teach his son to hate or fear Muggles, but he didn't want him to forget how precious their ancestry was either.
"What's wrong? Are you still feeling sick? Want me to get your crackers?" Harry started getting up but Draco waved him down.
"I'm fine. Just thinking, Harry. Some people like to do that, you know."
"Yeah, and some of those people can eat while thinking." Harry grinned back, spreading preserves on a piece of toast and lifting it to Draco's lips. He took a bite because he knew Harry would not drop his hand unless he did. Once the strawberry flavour lit along his taste buds, he realised he really was hungry and he reached for another bite much to Harry's apparent pleasure.
He took the toast and finished it quickly, following it with the chilled glass of milk. Draco had never been a fan of the drink, but he would follow Poppy's instructions on making sure he was taking in enough calcium and bear with the taste.
"So, what were you thinking about?"
"The school."
"When do you plan to start?"
"Immediately. I'm going to have lunch with Remus and Severus today to discuss it, and I made an appointment with Granger's assistant for two o’clock."
"You don't have to make an appointment with ‘Mione," Harry laughed, standing from the table and gathering their used plates.
"I'm not about to barge into her office without one," Draco contradicted. He and Granger got along better than he did with her husband, but he wasn't anywhere near comfortable enough to show up unannounced.
He helped clear the table while Harry began to wash up the dishes, drying the ones he had already scrubbed.
"I could have talked to her for you."
"I want to do it myself, Harry. I'm not exactly afraid of Granger." He sent him a half-lidded look. "Unless she still goes around striking people."
"Not unless they ask for it," Harry quipped then smiled apologetically, remembering Draco's insensitive comments about Buckbeak. "She'll be glad to help you."
"But don't you think you’re taking on a lot in your condition?" Harry handed him a plate with a concerned look.
"You’re really going to be overprotective until he's born, aren't you?" Draco rolled his eyes, setting the last of the dry plates in the cupboard.
"You heard Poppy. You have to be careful," Harry reminded him, drawing him close with his arms around his trim waist.
"Careful not to overextend myself, but I've not done anything these past few weeks. At least before I had photoshoots occupying my time." Draco drew patterns across the threadbare sleep shirt Harry wore.
"But you don't have to work anymore," Harry assured him, still dealing with the guilt from leaving his lover and child alone.
"I don't, but I can't go back to a life of indolence. I was able to sustain myself making money through my own merit," Draco informed him proudly, moving out of his arms and pulling him out of the kitchen toward the stairs. "And I want to. No need to work on the manor," Draco told him, looking over his shoulder.
"I understand. Just please take it easy," Harry pleaded, following him up the stairs.
"I will. Merlin, you’re such a worry wart. Now c'mon, we'll share a shower and then you need to go to work."
Harry smiled. "I can go in late," he suggested, hopping the last few steps.
X x x X x x X
Draco arrived at the restaurant exactly at noon, and was not surprised to find the other men were already at the reserved table. He greeted them both and looked over the menu, trying to see what he felt like eating.
"I'm not moving in there,” was the first thing out of Severus's mouth after the men had placed their orders.
"Moving where?" Draco looked at Remus, who let out a small sigh for an answer.
"We know you are going to offer us Grimmauld Place, and Severus does not want to accept it," Remus replied, playing with his napkin and unrolling the utensils.
"I think Black would spin in his grave if I lived in it," Severus sneered.
Under Remus's censuring glare, he mumbled an apology. Draco had to strain to hear him but he caught, "I don't think your ex-lover would want us living in his house."
Draco averted his eyes to give them a little privacy, focusing on his glass of water. He knew a little from Harry that his cousin and Remus had been somewhat of an item at school, although no one had known. It was a relationship which had not rekindled at Sirius's reappearance though, for reasons Harry had been uncertain of when he mentioned it to Draco.
"Draco." Once he saw he had recovered his attention, Remus continued. Draco could see he now rested his hand on the table next to Severus’s pale one.
"Sirius left it to Harry, and I'm sure that he would like it if you and Harry began your family there." His golden eyes were kind and his smile a bit sad, but Draco could see the man was at peace with his decision. He himself didn't think he would have been all too eager to live in the home of a former lover of Harry's.
Draco nodded slowly. "I'll talk to Harry."
"Now that we have that out of the way," Remus gave Severus a meaningful look, "how have you been? Did you settle the rest of the problems with the Ministry?"
"I've been well. Harry and I found out we're having a son at our latest prenatal appointment." The congratulations were interrupted when the server brought their appetizers and drinks.
"That's wonderful! Harry's exited for a boy?" Remus asked once the server was gone and the men had begun to eat.
"Already thinking of buying miniature Quidditch equipment, although I am certain he would plan the same even if we were having a girl," Draco informed him. He was very much aware of Harry's ongoing post with the Quidditch supply and his anonymous questions regarding a specially ordered broom.
"Don't forget the potions kit," Severus reminded him.
"I won't. We won't be remiss in ensuring our son receives a proper, well rounded education." It was one of the reasons the school was becoming more and more important to him. He thought of a young Harry huddled in the cupboard underneath the stairs, unaware he was being robbed of his birthright.
There were pleased expressions on the faces of both the former professors’ faces, but he wasn't surprised both men valued knowledge. He could only hope they would be willing to impart theirs with the future attendees of the school.
"That actually leads me to the main reason I asked to see you today." Draco took a sip of water and prepared himself.
"What is it?" Remus prompted, setting aside his fork. He must have read the uncertainty in his motions.
"Now that the Ministry has no other reason to look into my accounts or my family’s possessions, the manor falls under my complete control." He couldn't help but direct most of the explanation at Remus, whose open expression did much to encourage him to continue.
"After a lot of consideration, I have decided I am going to turn the manor into a school."
Golden eyes widened in surprise, and he could see his former head of house's famous eyebrow raise, just as it had countless times in the dungeons of Hogwarts. He knew he had to get them on board, had to make them realise how beneficial this could be not only for his son but all the children who would come before him and after.
"It's going to be a secondary school open to all magical children, a starting point to introduce the Muggleborns to our society and for the purebloods to gain a better understanding of the Muggle world." He took a sip of water to moisten his throat.
Remus smiled. "I think that's great."
"It's definitely an ingenious way to change the way the Malfoy name is perceived," Severus interjected, dryly reaching for his glass of wine.
"Severus," Remus chided.
"It's all right. He's perfectly correct. It is a way to ensure my family actually goes down in our history books as something more than the Dark Lord’s puppets. It gives my son the opportunity to be linked to a name that is trying to do good," Draco admitted, completely unashamed.
He wanted his family to be remembered for being longstanding wizards. If his child’s name was going to cause an impression before he was even old enough to speak, it would be a good one. His family was an old one, proud to have carried magic in their veins for generations, and he would impart the good on his son without the irrational hate toward those his forefathers had not understood.
"But it is not all about my family's reputation, but the good it would do in this emerging new world. The school will offer a first-class education, and to accomplish that I would like to hire you both."
"I'm not going to go back to teaching dunderheads," Severus declined immediately.
"You always complained we were not properly taught before we graced the doors of your classroom. Here is your chance to mould young minds without some of the attitude that comes with age."
"So, I'll be making them competent students for some other professor at Hogwarts to enjoy?" Snape snorted a bit at that.
"Professor," Draco used the title deliberately, for the man had not been a professor since the end of the war. He hoped it would cause some nostalgia. "You do so well with Teddy, and you exercise more patience than I have ever seen in all my years as your student. I think you would do well, and you'll have a potions lab at your disposal that will easily compete with the one at Hogwarts.
"Remus, your wages would be greater than what you could get anywhere else, and you won't be too far from Teddy," he pointed out to the now quiet man.
"The position sounds ideal, but I'm not sure the little ones' parents would want me teaching them," Remus replied with a sad half-smile.
"I won't let that become an issue," Draco promised, fully prepared to fight whoever he had to. "If you agree to take this on with me, then I will handle any concerns that spring up from this."
"Take it on with you?" Severus asked. "Just who else is involved?"
"For now, just us. I'm actually hoping you will start in the positions of Headmaster and Deputy Headmaster," Draco finally revealed.
X x x X x x
"Hello, Draco," his former schoolmate greeted him, motioning him to come into her office. His meeting with Remus and Severus had gone well, though the affirmations had not come until the last of the chocolate mousse had been licked from Remus's spoon. Severus had given him a sarcastic remark about making sure he came through on his promises, but Draco knew he was starting to warm up to the idea.
Now he entered Hermione Granger-Weasley’s large office. As the head of her department, she had the main office in the newer wing of the Ministry.
"Good afternoon, Granger. Thank you for meeting with me," he replied, taking off his coat and resting it on his arm.
The curly haired woman seemed bemused by his thanks. "It's no problem, but in the future just ring me directly. You don't have to make an appointment. Would you like something to drink?"
Draco shook his head, taking a seat in one of the comfortable chairs across from her desk.
"So, what can I do for you, Draco?" Her sincerity was plain to see, as if she fully intended to comply with whatever he was requesting. He knew deep within him the chances she would say yes were very high, Gryffindors coming to the rescue and all that, but it still felt very strange to ask for her help. His support had always been for Harry during the war. It had always been about him. He never really sought to cultivate more than a cordial relationship with his lover’s best friends.
He began to relay his plans for the manor, explaining what he intended to accomplish by remodelling it into a school and who the intended pupils would be.
"It's going to have to undergo extreme renovation to meet our needs, and there is going to be a lot of work involved. We need to establish a Board of Governors, work on a curriculum, which Severus and Remus will help with, but we need more assistance. We, well, I need your help. I need someone to represent the Muggleborns," he clarified, awaiting her response.
He was horrified when she didn’t begin asking questions right away, but instead looked at him as if she was trying to decipher what was going on in his brain.
"That is so wonderful." Draco could see her eyes watering, and she took a delicate sniff before standing up from her chair and going around her desk to hug him as tightly as she could in his sitting position. He remained stiff, unsure how to react. The last time she had hugged him was at the end of Battle for Hogwarts, but a lot of people had embraced him then too.
"I take this to mean you’re in accordance?" he ventured into her shoulder.
She pulled back, her smile wide and happy. He craned his neck back a little to reduce the proximity of their faces.
"Of course I will." She squeezed his upper arms and moved away, sitting down in the armchair next to him instead of her chair. "Hold on." She grabbed a parchment and quill and pulled her chair close enough to lean on the desk.
"You said that Remus and Severus would help?"
"Yes, they are going to be the Headmaster and Deputy Headmaster respectively."
"So, we'll need my draft of the Fair Employment for Magical Cursed Creatures. We'll need to begin assembling first hand accounts of a couple of classmates that were taught by Remus and came to no harm. What about funding?"
"I will cover all the start up costs, but I will begin networking to look for additional funding. I was thinking of our not so secret weapon."
She nodded knowingly. "Harry. This will be groundbreaking! We have so much to discuss. If this is going to be a yearly program, the Muggleborns won’t be able to attend until summer," she murmured, making frantic notes on her parchment.
"Why not?" Draco set his coat on the arm of the chair.
"Muggles go to their own schools where they learn the basics of the materials they need for high school and university."
Draco nodded, listening to her explain about the different levels of education Muggles went through, coming to understand there was going to be a lot involved in this process. Watching Granger’s lit up face and her constant flow of information, he knew he had been wise to seek her counsel. They spent another half-hour discussing possibilities, and he even revealed the name he had chosen for the school, which had prompted another hug he returned loosely.
"Thank you, Granger." He reached out to offer his hand for a shake when it was time for him to go.
"No. Now that we are going to embark on this endeavour together, you must call me Hermione," she said, clasping his hand warmly and giving it a shake.
"Thank you, Hermione."
They shared a brief smile.
X x x x x X x x
Harry grabbed his pack lunch and waited at the same bench he'd found Luna at the day before. He knew she said she would be there on Wednesdays, but he came prepared if she showed up as he hoped she would.
He'd looked over a couple of cases for Shacklebolt that morning, none of them names he recognised. It seemed he was supposed to determine if the cases should be eligible for release from their paroles and magical restrictions.
"Hello, Harry. Fancy meeting you here," the blonde woman greeted. "Father sent me out to investigate a possible infestation of Umgubular Slashkilters. Fudge breeds them, you know?"
"I didn't actually, but if it’s stupid to do so I wouldn’t put it past him," Harry answered, recalling all too well the former Minister for Magic.
"I have lunch this time." He offered up his bag.
"That's nice, Harry. I always did like smoked brisket." She smiled placidly, taking a seat beside him and tucking her large rainbow covered tote between them.
He lowered the bag, dumbfounded. That was exactly what he had wrapped in foil tucked away in his brown bag.
He split the food between them and was silent while they tucked into it.
They set the used wrappings inside the bag, and he looked to her uncertainly, unsure if he should bother her with his problems.
"How are things with your job, Harry?"
Harry could have sworn there was a knowing twinkle in her eye. He wasn't about to waste the opportunity, so he quickly began to tell her about his day.
"Well, I've been looking at some of the cases and it wasn't really what I expected. It’s just…some of these suspects seem like the only tie they have to the Death Eaters are their ‘dark’ families." Harry lowered his fingers from the open quotes.
"I guess it seems like some of them are not evil, really, just mistaken....I'm not sure what to do with them." Harry thought back to the cases, with their attached photographs and bios, all of which followed the same pattern. No blatant acts of bigotry or participation beside the links to dark wizards in their ancestry.
"They actually reminded me of…"
" Draco," she finished for him, taking a big bite of her sandwich.
"Well, yeah. A little. None of them were actually as high profile as Lucius, but they all seemed to have Draco's upbringing," Harry realised suddenly.
"So, I guess it's only fair to give them a chance to prove themselves." One of the things he'd always regretted was not attempting to reach out to more of the Slytherins when he'd been at school. Especially after Draco accepted his help and they'd started falling in love, he'd seen how hard it was for him amongst his house.
"Hmm," she said noncommittally.
Harry thought back to the folders on his desk and the people he was supposed to be figuring out, taking them apart until he could see if they could be a part of this new world or if they were even willing to try.
Maybe it was time for them to move on and try to change just as he was.
****
"Thank you, love." Harry kissed his boyfriend softly on the lips.
"For?" Draco lifted his head to return the kiss but did not sit up from where he was resting on the couch.
"Hermione called me," Harry answered simply, sitting on the corner of the coffee table and ignoring Draco's censuring motion. He didn't think he would actually get up to make him move, so he was safe for now.
"Did she want to gloat?" The question was posed with semi-seriousness. Harry watched Draco pull on the long sleeve of his jumper.
"Not gloat, but she did go on and on about how amazing it was and that she was so proud of you for thinking of it." He paused. "And that she needs to see me for a briefing for my meeting with the press?"
"I was going to warn you about that," Draco replied, drawing his legs underneath him as he sat up.
"It's fine. I don't mind using my so-called celebrity for something like this," Harry reassured him, touching his folded knee.
"I'm surprised she already spoke to you about that, though."
"Are you kidding? If I know her, she's at home preparing notes about what you'll need. Expect her to ring you early tomorrow with a million questions." Harry laughed.
"Her tenacity will be greatly appreciated."
"Just remember SPEW," Harry reminded him.
"That might be a problem," Draco murmured. "I don't think the Malfoy house elves are going to go anywhere."
"I'm sure you'll manage to work it out."
"I thought of the name." Draco patted the space beside him, and Harry answered his unspoken request and snuggled close to him.
"What is it?"
Draco unfurled his legs and stretched them in front a bit before answering. "I thought we could name it Le Jardin.
"It means ‘the garden,’" he explained when Harry looked at him questioningly. "In honour of Lily and Narcissa, two loving women who gave their all so their children could blossom."
"When did you become so poetic?" Harry tried to tease, but his voice was gruff and his face emotional although he clung to his smile. Draco didn’t answer. He just let the other man bury his face in his neck as he fought tears of his own.
A/N: radcliffe_bass , Thankfully you asked for something doable , I promise I'll have more soon, aiming to finish this by February ♥
Chapter 21