Babysitting Hugo
Title: Babysitting Hugo
Word Count: 1,460 (365 x 4)
Rating: PG 13
Summary: Draco gets roped into babysitting the littlest Weasley.
Author's notes: Written for hogwarts365 Prompt 29: "Believe it, _____, when I say...", Hugo Weasley, Dream journal and Possessed.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. This was written for fun, not profit.
“No! You can’t do this to me, Harry! This is not happening!”
Draco wouldn’t really say he was shrieking per se, but he was coming fairly close. And the sight of Harry standing there with that pleading look on his face and the squirming bundle in his arms was not helping in the least.
“It’s just for a few hours, Draco,” Harry implored, hoisting Hugo Weasley on his shoulder. “I’ll be back in two hours, tops. You know I wouldn’t do this if I had another choice. Just take him, will you?”
Baby Weasley gurgled happily and reached out to grapple for Draco with his chubby arms. Draco took a prudent step back.
“No,” he declared firmly. “I don’t know what possessed you to volunteer us for babysitting duty but you are not sticking me with Ginger Junior while you and Granger traipse off to the Ministry. Believe it, Potter, when I say no, I mean no.”
“Don’t call him Ginger Junior,” Harry admonished sternly. “He has a name. Don’t you, Hugo?” Draco huffed as Harry smiled gently at the baby and bounced him, much to the toddler’s delight. This right here was what he was talking about. Harry was good with kids.
Harry. Not Draco.
“Besides, he likes you,” Harry went on.
Draco snorted. “He’s a toddler. He likes everything. Last week, I saw him giggling and squealing for two whole hours over a cup.”
“Exactly! So you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
Draco’s eyes widened as Harry promptly bundled the littlest Weasley into his arms. His grip tightened on instinct and Hugo emitted a small whine of complaint, wriggling dangerously as he tried to make himself comfortable. Draco stared into those guileless blue eyes, absolutely transfixed with horror.
“Harry, you can’t do this!” he protested desperately. “Weasley will kill you when he finds out you left his son with me! And believe me, I am not going to stop him.”
“Ron will be fine with it. I checked with him and Hermione,” Harry retorted, which just confirmed Draco’s suspicions that this was some elaborate scheme to ruin his life. Of course, the extent of Weasley’s schemes revolved around how to maximise his sugar quill intake but Granger was certainly devious enough to cook something up.
“Harry, please!” He was definitely shrieking now. “I can’t...I don’t know anything about children! What if he cries? What if I drop him? Oh gods, what if he needs to go to the bathroom?!”
Harry just favoured him with another infuriating, reassuring smile. “I’ll be back in no time,” he promised. “You’ll be just fine, I promise.”
And with that, the traitor gave him a parting kiss, made for the fireplace and took off in record time. Draco scowled into the flickering flames, until an enquiring gurgle started him out of his dark musings. Hugo blinked at him and Draco swallowed.
“Um, hello?”
Hugo blinked again. Draco blinked back.
Oh, this was going to be a long two hours.
****
Draco’s initial plan to just leave Hugo to his devices ended in massive failure. So there he was, minding his own business and making an entry in his Dream Journal (last night had featured a Hippogriff in a powdered wig, pounding a gavel and sentencing him to six years in Argentina) when the wailing started.
Draco started and upset the inkwell as the howls ascended to a whole new level. Cursing a blue streak, he made a run for the tiny playroom he had set up for Baby Weasel.
“Something better be on fire, you little mandrake,” Draco snapped as he bolted in. He skidded to a halt when Hugo stared at him with teary, blue eyes and lifted his arms in a not so silent demand to be held.
“No bye bye,” he whined, sniffling and...and dripping and grappling for Draco.
Draco’s shuddered in disgust, attempting to reason with the little menace.
“I’m not going anywhere. I was just in the other...”
“No BYE BYE!”
“Okay, okay!”
Draco grumbled and groused as he hoisted Hugo in his arms, bouncing him a bit like he’d seen Harry do. Hugo calmed down eventually. He sniffed and hid in Draco’s shoulder, holding on to him with chubby fists. Draco swallowed and patted his back gently. He was just such a small person. So tiny and frail and trusting...just look at him, holding on to Draco like a lifeline. It was bloody terrifying. Draco would take the Hippogriff and the gavel over this any day.
“Er...there there?” he tried.
Hugo just whined in distress and held on tighter. Draco sighed and shook his head.
“I am so not good at this,” he muttered.
Hugo detached himself for a second. He patted Draco’s cheek and gurgled seriously at him. Draco blinked at the tiny pocket of warmth against his skin.
“You have tiny hands,” he informed Hugo. That earned him a happy giggle and another round of petting. Draco raised an eyebrow.
“I suppose I’m supposed to just drop everything and entertain you then?” he enquired dryly. Hugo squealed and Draco supposed that was a yes.
“Come on then,” he sighed, sitting cross-legged on the floor and sifting through the small toy box Harry had provided. “Let’s see what we have here.”
He busied himself with arranging a pile of blocks on the floor. Children liked shapes and colours, right? He had just started putting the yellow and green blocks in a little heap when Hugo protested.
“No!” he scolded disapprovingly.
Draco raised an eyebrow and gestured at the pile. “Well then, you do it.”
Hugo took over and sifted through the pile, making separate heaps of red, yellow and green blocks. He gurgled triumphantly at his handiwork and Draco rolled his eyes.
“Know it all. You’re just like your mother.”
Hugo giggled and patted his knee and if Draco cracked a smile at that, nobody could prove it.
****
“It’s not that I don’t trust Malfoy,” Hermione protested as Harry fiddled with his keys. “I'm just worried. It’s not like he’s had a lot of experience baby-sitting.”
Harry just tuned out her fretting and opened the door. He stopped short and a grin broke out on his face as he took in the sight in front of him.
“See?” he said, nudging Hermione’s shoulder. “I told you they’d be fine.”
Hermione’s eyes widened as she saw them. Her baby was tucked into Malfoy’s shoulder, fast asleep. Malfoy had an arm around Hugo and he was propped up against the couch in a way that couldn’t be good for his back at all. Nevertheless, he was sleeping too.
“If I wasn’t seeing it, I wouldn’t believe it,” she mumbled, shaking her head.
Harry chuckled and padded over, shaking Malfoy’s shoulder. “Dray, wake up,” he murmured softly.
Malfoy bolted up with a jerk. “Not guilty!” he blurted, looking around blearily. “Don’ want Argentina...”
He trailed off as his eyes focused on Harry slowly. Malfoy yawned and rubbed his eyes. “Harry? What time’s it?”
Harry smiled and stroked his hair back. “It’s time for Hugo to go home,” he said softly.
Malfoy blinked at the sleeping toddler using him as a pillow. “He’s sleeping,” he replied reluctantly, hoisting Hugo up gently. Hugo grumbled and fisted his shirt and Malfoy reacted at once, patting his back gently.
Hermione just stared. Oh, Ron was never going to believe this.
“It’s okay,” she managed, approaching them carefully. “I’ll just put him down for a nap at home. Thank you for watching him, Malfoy. I really appreciate it.”
“Yes well, don’t get used to it,” Malfoy grumbled. Nevertheless, he was extra cautious as he handed the sleeping baby over to Hermione. “Careful,” he warned as she settled Hugo on her shoulder. “Don’t jostle him.”
Hermione had to suppress a slightly hysterical giggle. “I think I’ve got it, thank you.”
She left them with another grateful nod and strode into the floo. Harry hid a grin at Draco’s wistful expression.
“I take it you and Hugo had a nice day?” he teased, nudging his boyfriend.
“It was tolerable,” Draco replied. “He’s alright. You know, for a Weasley.”
Harry laughed and pulled him in for a kiss. “I’m very proud of you,” he told Draco, nuzzling his hair affectionately. “I don’t suppose you’d want to do it again sometime? Hermione has a long week ahead at the office and Ron’s going to be out late too so maybe we could watch Hugo together?”
“Very well,” Draco replied with a put upon sigh. “But you’re going to have to follow my lead, Harry. It’s serious business taking care of a baby, you know. You have to have a knack for these things...”
Harry suppressed a chuckle and kissed him again. “I’ll start taking notes.”
Word Count: 1,460 (365 x 4)
Rating: PG 13
Summary: Draco gets roped into babysitting the littlest Weasley.
Author's notes: Written for hogwarts365 Prompt 29: "Believe it, _____, when I say...", Hugo Weasley, Dream journal and Possessed.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. This was written for fun, not profit.
“No! You can’t do this to me, Harry! This is not happening!”
Draco wouldn’t really say he was shrieking per se, but he was coming fairly close. And the sight of Harry standing there with that pleading look on his face and the squirming bundle in his arms was not helping in the least.
“It’s just for a few hours, Draco,” Harry implored, hoisting Hugo Weasley on his shoulder. “I’ll be back in two hours, tops. You know I wouldn’t do this if I had another choice. Just take him, will you?”
Baby Weasley gurgled happily and reached out to grapple for Draco with his chubby arms. Draco took a prudent step back.
“No,” he declared firmly. “I don’t know what possessed you to volunteer us for babysitting duty but you are not sticking me with Ginger Junior while you and Granger traipse off to the Ministry. Believe it, Potter, when I say no, I mean no.”
“Don’t call him Ginger Junior,” Harry admonished sternly. “He has a name. Don’t you, Hugo?” Draco huffed as Harry smiled gently at the baby and bounced him, much to the toddler’s delight. This right here was what he was talking about. Harry was good with kids.
Harry. Not Draco.
“Besides, he likes you,” Harry went on.
Draco snorted. “He’s a toddler. He likes everything. Last week, I saw him giggling and squealing for two whole hours over a cup.”
“Exactly! So you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
Draco’s eyes widened as Harry promptly bundled the littlest Weasley into his arms. His grip tightened on instinct and Hugo emitted a small whine of complaint, wriggling dangerously as he tried to make himself comfortable. Draco stared into those guileless blue eyes, absolutely transfixed with horror.
“Harry, you can’t do this!” he protested desperately. “Weasley will kill you when he finds out you left his son with me! And believe me, I am not going to stop him.”
“Ron will be fine with it. I checked with him and Hermione,” Harry retorted, which just confirmed Draco’s suspicions that this was some elaborate scheme to ruin his life. Of course, the extent of Weasley’s schemes revolved around how to maximise his sugar quill intake but Granger was certainly devious enough to cook something up.
“Harry, please!” He was definitely shrieking now. “I can’t...I don’t know anything about children! What if he cries? What if I drop him? Oh gods, what if he needs to go to the bathroom?!”
Harry just favoured him with another infuriating, reassuring smile. “I’ll be back in no time,” he promised. “You’ll be just fine, I promise.”
And with that, the traitor gave him a parting kiss, made for the fireplace and took off in record time. Draco scowled into the flickering flames, until an enquiring gurgle started him out of his dark musings. Hugo blinked at him and Draco swallowed.
“Um, hello?”
Hugo blinked again. Draco blinked back.
Oh, this was going to be a long two hours.
****
Draco’s initial plan to just leave Hugo to his devices ended in massive failure. So there he was, minding his own business and making an entry in his Dream Journal (last night had featured a Hippogriff in a powdered wig, pounding a gavel and sentencing him to six years in Argentina) when the wailing started.
Draco started and upset the inkwell as the howls ascended to a whole new level. Cursing a blue streak, he made a run for the tiny playroom he had set up for Baby Weasel.
“Something better be on fire, you little mandrake,” Draco snapped as he bolted in. He skidded to a halt when Hugo stared at him with teary, blue eyes and lifted his arms in a not so silent demand to be held.
“No bye bye,” he whined, sniffling and...and dripping and grappling for Draco.
Draco’s shuddered in disgust, attempting to reason with the little menace.
“I’m not going anywhere. I was just in the other...”
“No BYE BYE!”
“Okay, okay!”
Draco grumbled and groused as he hoisted Hugo in his arms, bouncing him a bit like he’d seen Harry do. Hugo calmed down eventually. He sniffed and hid in Draco’s shoulder, holding on to him with chubby fists. Draco swallowed and patted his back gently. He was just such a small person. So tiny and frail and trusting...just look at him, holding on to Draco like a lifeline. It was bloody terrifying. Draco would take the Hippogriff and the gavel over this any day.
“Er...there there?” he tried.
Hugo just whined in distress and held on tighter. Draco sighed and shook his head.
“I am so not good at this,” he muttered.
Hugo detached himself for a second. He patted Draco’s cheek and gurgled seriously at him. Draco blinked at the tiny pocket of warmth against his skin.
“You have tiny hands,” he informed Hugo. That earned him a happy giggle and another round of petting. Draco raised an eyebrow.
“I suppose I’m supposed to just drop everything and entertain you then?” he enquired dryly. Hugo squealed and Draco supposed that was a yes.
“Come on then,” he sighed, sitting cross-legged on the floor and sifting through the small toy box Harry had provided. “Let’s see what we have here.”
He busied himself with arranging a pile of blocks on the floor. Children liked shapes and colours, right? He had just started putting the yellow and green blocks in a little heap when Hugo protested.
“No!” he scolded disapprovingly.
Draco raised an eyebrow and gestured at the pile. “Well then, you do it.”
Hugo took over and sifted through the pile, making separate heaps of red, yellow and green blocks. He gurgled triumphantly at his handiwork and Draco rolled his eyes.
“Know it all. You’re just like your mother.”
Hugo giggled and patted his knee and if Draco cracked a smile at that, nobody could prove it.
****
“It’s not that I don’t trust Malfoy,” Hermione protested as Harry fiddled with his keys. “I'm just worried. It’s not like he’s had a lot of experience baby-sitting.”
Harry just tuned out her fretting and opened the door. He stopped short and a grin broke out on his face as he took in the sight in front of him.
“See?” he said, nudging Hermione’s shoulder. “I told you they’d be fine.”
Hermione’s eyes widened as she saw them. Her baby was tucked into Malfoy’s shoulder, fast asleep. Malfoy had an arm around Hugo and he was propped up against the couch in a way that couldn’t be good for his back at all. Nevertheless, he was sleeping too.
“If I wasn’t seeing it, I wouldn’t believe it,” she mumbled, shaking her head.
Harry chuckled and padded over, shaking Malfoy’s shoulder. “Dray, wake up,” he murmured softly.
Malfoy bolted up with a jerk. “Not guilty!” he blurted, looking around blearily. “Don’ want Argentina...”
He trailed off as his eyes focused on Harry slowly. Malfoy yawned and rubbed his eyes. “Harry? What time’s it?”
Harry smiled and stroked his hair back. “It’s time for Hugo to go home,” he said softly.
Malfoy blinked at the sleeping toddler using him as a pillow. “He’s sleeping,” he replied reluctantly, hoisting Hugo up gently. Hugo grumbled and fisted his shirt and Malfoy reacted at once, patting his back gently.
Hermione just stared. Oh, Ron was never going to believe this.
“It’s okay,” she managed, approaching them carefully. “I’ll just put him down for a nap at home. Thank you for watching him, Malfoy. I really appreciate it.”
“Yes well, don’t get used to it,” Malfoy grumbled. Nevertheless, he was extra cautious as he handed the sleeping baby over to Hermione. “Careful,” he warned as she settled Hugo on her shoulder. “Don’t jostle him.”
Hermione had to suppress a slightly hysterical giggle. “I think I’ve got it, thank you.”
She left them with another grateful nod and strode into the floo. Harry hid a grin at Draco’s wistful expression.
“I take it you and Hugo had a nice day?” he teased, nudging his boyfriend.
“It was tolerable,” Draco replied. “He’s alright. You know, for a Weasley.”
Harry laughed and pulled him in for a kiss. “I’m very proud of you,” he told Draco, nuzzling his hair affectionately. “I don’t suppose you’d want to do it again sometime? Hermione has a long week ahead at the office and Ron’s going to be out late too so maybe we could watch Hugo together?”
“Very well,” Draco replied with a put upon sigh. “But you’re going to have to follow my lead, Harry. It’s serious business taking care of a baby, you know. You have to have a knack for these things...”
Harry suppressed a chuckle and kissed him again. “I’ll start taking notes.”