FIC: The Ghost of Christmas Future [Harry/Draco - PG]
Title: The Ghost of Christmas Future
Author/Artist: alisanne
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco (pre-slash), Hermione Granger.
Prompt: Prompt #75: Harry finds Draco shopping for a Christmas gift for Teddy. Of course Harry is convinced Draco is up to something and begins to follow him. What happens next?
Word Count: 1680
Rating: PG
Contains (Highlight to view): *Mild angst.*
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: Thank you to the lovely sassy_cissa for the prompt, and to my beta readers for their fabulous assistance.
Summary: Christmas shopping is not always above suspicion.
***
The Ghost of Christmas Future
***
“Thanks for meeting me for lunch, Hermione.” Harry raises his glass to toast her. “And happy Christmas.”
Hermione smiles. “It’s bit early for that, isn’t it? It’s only the first week in December.”
“Oh, I know it early,” says Harry, sipping his tea. “But the holidays can be mad, so I thought it safer to say it now. Plus, you and Ron are heading to Australia to spend it with your parent this year, aren’t you?”
“We are,” she confirmed. She leans across the table. “And you’re still welcome to come with us--”
Harry shakes his head. “No, it’s fine. I promised Andromeda I’d spend the holidays with her and Teddy, remember? And I’ve promised Teddy the best Christmas ever.” He smiles. “But you two are sure to have a brilliant time.”
Hermione sighs. “I hope so. It’s certainly going to be lovely having it be warm on Christmas day.”
Personally, Harry thinks that sounds a bit odd, but he just nods and smiles. “Certainly sounds different. Just think of us when you’re sipping wine in the sun, yeah?”
“Will do.” Hermione chuckles. “And maybe you’ll have someone to curl up with in front of the fire this year,” she says.
But Harry has stopped listening, focussed instead on someone behind Hermione. “Now what is he up to?” he mutters.
Frowning, Hermione turns. “Who--? Oh.” She turns back around, shaking her head and raising an eyebrow. “When will you get over this obsession with him, Harry?”
Harry, eyes narrowed, is still staring at Draco Malfoy, who is standing across the street from the cafe in which Harry and Hermione are sitting. He seems to be engrossed, staring at Quidditch equipment through a shop window. “I’m not obsessed,” he says absently. “He’s just been so quiet since the trial, no one’s heard a word, and now he’s suddenly wandering about Diagon. Isn’t that, I dunno, odd?”
Hermione snorts. “Since half the population of the wizarding world is currently doing their Christmas shopping here, no, I don’t find that odd at all.”
“Well, but who’s he shopping for in a Quidditch shop?” Harry asks. “Not his parents.”
“Does it matter?” Hermione sighs. “You know, at some point you’re going to have to let this preoccupation with Malfoy go, Harry.”
But Harry still isn’t listening. “What if it’s Teddy?” he says. He pushes away from the table. “I should see what he’s buying.”
“You can’t think he’d buy something harmful for him,” says Hermione.
Harry blinks. “No, that’s--” He thinks about how must Draco seems to treasure his family and he shakes his head. “No. I just want to be sure we don’t, erm, duplicate gifts.”
“Of course.” Hermione’s tone is dry. Since they have been done with lunch for a while, she stands with him, hugging him. “Be careful,” she whispers.
Harry grins at her. “I thought you said he wasn’t up to anything.”
Hermione snorts. “If some random person decided to follow me while I was out Christmas shopping I’d probably hex them. And I suspect Malfoy is a bit more paranoid than I am. He may hex first and ask questions later.”
“Good point. I’ll be careful.” Harry starts for the door. “He’s on the move. I’ll talk to you later.”
Whatever Hermione says in reply is lost to Harry as he exits the cafe and starts following Malfoy, who has moved on to another shop, seemingly unaware of Harry’s scrutiny.
Harry tries to be casual in his surveillance, making sure to be looking the other way every time Malfoy even seems to want to look in his direction, and it works for the most part. Malfoy seems to be aimlessly wandering, browsing shop windows as if not sure what he wants to buy. Harry finds himself admiring Malfoy as he moves. He really has grown into an attractive man.
Acting as if he’s window shopping, Harry pauses here and there to stare into window displays as he meanders after Malfoy.
Finally, after an hour of seemingly aimless wandering, Malfoy slips into a potions shop just on the edge of Diagon. It’s tiny, and Harry knows there’s no way he’d be able to avoid having Malfoy see him in there, so he loiters outside, hunching his shoulders and dipping his head to appear inconspicuous.
“...see that?” says a passer-by. “Draco sodding Malfoy, as bold as you please, shopping alongside innocent people.”
“I know! We should take care of him.”
“We will. Follow me.”
Harry narrows his eyes, staring into the window to see if he can tell who’s talking, but there are simply too many people to be able to tell.
Minutes later, Malfoy emerges from the shop, a package in his hands, and he starts for the outskirts of Diagon Alley. Harry follows, now on the lookout for anyone threatening.
The Christmas crowd is thinner there, so Harry has to consciously try to remain incognito, and when Draco slips down an alley, Harry lingers for a few moments before going in after him.
Malfoy moves with purpose, his confident strides taking him into the midst of a large crowd. Harry loses him for a moment, and, panicked, starts shoving his way through the crush of people as he searches. He hears something and, suspicious, he rounds the corner to find Malfoy, wand drawn, facing three wizards. Harry draws his own wand and clears his throat.
One of the wizards’ eyes widen in recognition. “Harry Potter!”
“That’s me,” says Harry. “Anything I can help you with, gentlemen?” His eyes flick to Malfoy. “I see you found my friend.”
“Friend?” One of the wizards lowers his wand.
“Yes,” says Harry. “Come along, Draco. I got us a table and we’re late.”
“My apologies, Harry,” says Malfoy, sidling past the wizards. “I was...unavoidably delayed.”
Harry’s back itches as they emerge from the alley, but no one comes after them and when they are out in the open he breathes a bit easier. “Are you all right?” he asks Malfoy.
Malfoy hums. “I’m fine. Looks like there actually is an advantage to having you follow me.”
Harry pauses mid-step, making about three people run into him. “Sorry,” he says to an irate-looking woman. “Sorry!”
Malfoy smirks. “Come along, Potter. You said something about a table, and I could use a cup of tea after that.”
They end up in the same cafe where Harry had lunch with Hermione only a couple hours before. The server raises an eyebrow but otherwise doesn’t react, bringing them tea and tray of pastries.
Once they are served, Malfoy leans back in his chair. “Right, why were you following me? What is it that you think I’ve done now?”
Harry flushes. “Erm--”
Malfoy rolls his eyes. “It’s just the general principle, then? If I’m out in public then I must be up to something?” He snorts. “You should have just left me to the tender mercies of that gang if you believe that.”
“I don’t.” Harry blinks, realising he’s telling the truth. “I really don’t,” he repeats.
Malfoy looks away, but not before Harry sees a flash of hurt in his eyes. “Then what?”
Harry exhales. “It’s just been a long time since I’ve seen you and I was curious what you’re up to. I almost stopped following.” He hesitates. “But then I overheard those men, so--”
Malfoy snorts. “Well I’m grateful for that, I suppose.” He sips some tea. “Not may people would have bothered.”
“Well, I do owe your mother a life debt--” Harry bites his lip. “Erm, I heard about your parents, by the way. I’m sorry.”
Malfoy stares at him for a long moment. “Salazar help me, but I actually believe you,” he finally says. He sighs. “Thanks. It’s going to be a rough holiday.”
Harry nods. “Do you have plans?”
“I have some family left, yes.” Malfoy raises an eyebrow. “I believe you know them. Andromeda and Teddy?”
Harry blinks. “Yes. I’ll be there for Christmas, too, actually.”
It’s Malfoy’s turn to look surprised. “What? Not going to the Weasleys?”
Harry coughs. “Ron and Hermione won’t be there and Ginny will, so...no. Not after our breakup.”
Malfoy hums. “Right, I read about that.” He smirks. “My coming out wasn’t covered in the papers.”
Malfoy’s gay? Well, well. Harry raises an eyebrow. “Lucky.”
Malfoy grins. “There are some advantages to being in disgrace. Still, I’d have thought the Weasleys would welcome you anyway.”
Harry shrugs. “They probably would. I’m just not up for it this year. Maybe next year.” He sips some tea. “So, did you get all your shopping done?”
Malfoy shakes his head. “Not yet. I wanted to get something special for Teddy, but then I was rudely interrupted--”
Harry nods. “I need to get something for him, too.” He smiles tentatively. “If you like, we could...coordinate gifts?”
Malfoy raises an eyebrow. “You would do that?”
“Sure.” Harry snags a pastry. “I never know what to get him.”
Malfoy purses his lips, distracting Harry for a moment. “I have some ideas.”
“Brilliant,” says Harry. “Shall we get started?”
Malfoy drains his tea, and after popping the last pastry into his mouth, nods and stands. Harry follows, placing a hand on Malfoy’s arm when he’s jostled by a passing server.
There’s a spark of awareness and he blinks. Malfoy is looking at him and in that moment Harry’s sure he felt it, too. “Problem?” Malfoy asks, looking wary.
Slowly, Harry smiles. Perhaps there’s another reason he had the urge to follow Malfoy. This could be the year to explore those reasons, he thinks as he looks at Malfoy. The man really is gorgeous. “Not at all,” he says, settling his hand on Malfoy’s back to steer out. “Now let’s go. We’ve a lot to do to prepare for a Teddy Christmas.” And as they move towards the door, he finds himself hoping that it turns out to be first of many.
***
Author/Artist: alisanne
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco (pre-slash), Hermione Granger.
Prompt: Prompt #75: Harry finds Draco shopping for a Christmas gift for Teddy. Of course Harry is convinced Draco is up to something and begins to follow him. What happens next?
Word Count: 1680
Rating: PG
Contains (Highlight to view): *Mild angst.*
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: Thank you to the lovely sassy_cissa for the prompt, and to my beta readers for their fabulous assistance.
Summary: Christmas shopping is not always above suspicion.
***
The Ghost of Christmas Future
***
“Thanks for meeting me for lunch, Hermione.” Harry raises his glass to toast her. “And happy Christmas.”
Hermione smiles. “It’s bit early for that, isn’t it? It’s only the first week in December.”
“Oh, I know it early,” says Harry, sipping his tea. “But the holidays can be mad, so I thought it safer to say it now. Plus, you and Ron are heading to Australia to spend it with your parent this year, aren’t you?”
“We are,” she confirmed. She leans across the table. “And you’re still welcome to come with us--”
Harry shakes his head. “No, it’s fine. I promised Andromeda I’d spend the holidays with her and Teddy, remember? And I’ve promised Teddy the best Christmas ever.” He smiles. “But you two are sure to have a brilliant time.”
Hermione sighs. “I hope so. It’s certainly going to be lovely having it be warm on Christmas day.”
Personally, Harry thinks that sounds a bit odd, but he just nods and smiles. “Certainly sounds different. Just think of us when you’re sipping wine in the sun, yeah?”
“Will do.” Hermione chuckles. “And maybe you’ll have someone to curl up with in front of the fire this year,” she says.
But Harry has stopped listening, focussed instead on someone behind Hermione. “Now what is he up to?” he mutters.
Frowning, Hermione turns. “Who--? Oh.” She turns back around, shaking her head and raising an eyebrow. “When will you get over this obsession with him, Harry?”
Harry, eyes narrowed, is still staring at Draco Malfoy, who is standing across the street from the cafe in which Harry and Hermione are sitting. He seems to be engrossed, staring at Quidditch equipment through a shop window. “I’m not obsessed,” he says absently. “He’s just been so quiet since the trial, no one’s heard a word, and now he’s suddenly wandering about Diagon. Isn’t that, I dunno, odd?”
Hermione snorts. “Since half the population of the wizarding world is currently doing their Christmas shopping here, no, I don’t find that odd at all.”
“Well, but who’s he shopping for in a Quidditch shop?” Harry asks. “Not his parents.”
“Does it matter?” Hermione sighs. “You know, at some point you’re going to have to let this preoccupation with Malfoy go, Harry.”
But Harry still isn’t listening. “What if it’s Teddy?” he says. He pushes away from the table. “I should see what he’s buying.”
“You can’t think he’d buy something harmful for him,” says Hermione.
Harry blinks. “No, that’s--” He thinks about how must Draco seems to treasure his family and he shakes his head. “No. I just want to be sure we don’t, erm, duplicate gifts.”
“Of course.” Hermione’s tone is dry. Since they have been done with lunch for a while, she stands with him, hugging him. “Be careful,” she whispers.
Harry grins at her. “I thought you said he wasn’t up to anything.”
Hermione snorts. “If some random person decided to follow me while I was out Christmas shopping I’d probably hex them. And I suspect Malfoy is a bit more paranoid than I am. He may hex first and ask questions later.”
“Good point. I’ll be careful.” Harry starts for the door. “He’s on the move. I’ll talk to you later.”
Whatever Hermione says in reply is lost to Harry as he exits the cafe and starts following Malfoy, who has moved on to another shop, seemingly unaware of Harry’s scrutiny.
Harry tries to be casual in his surveillance, making sure to be looking the other way every time Malfoy even seems to want to look in his direction, and it works for the most part. Malfoy seems to be aimlessly wandering, browsing shop windows as if not sure what he wants to buy. Harry finds himself admiring Malfoy as he moves. He really has grown into an attractive man.
Acting as if he’s window shopping, Harry pauses here and there to stare into window displays as he meanders after Malfoy.
Finally, after an hour of seemingly aimless wandering, Malfoy slips into a potions shop just on the edge of Diagon. It’s tiny, and Harry knows there’s no way he’d be able to avoid having Malfoy see him in there, so he loiters outside, hunching his shoulders and dipping his head to appear inconspicuous.
“...see that?” says a passer-by. “Draco sodding Malfoy, as bold as you please, shopping alongside innocent people.”
“I know! We should take care of him.”
“We will. Follow me.”
Harry narrows his eyes, staring into the window to see if he can tell who’s talking, but there are simply too many people to be able to tell.
Minutes later, Malfoy emerges from the shop, a package in his hands, and he starts for the outskirts of Diagon Alley. Harry follows, now on the lookout for anyone threatening.
The Christmas crowd is thinner there, so Harry has to consciously try to remain incognito, and when Draco slips down an alley, Harry lingers for a few moments before going in after him.
Malfoy moves with purpose, his confident strides taking him into the midst of a large crowd. Harry loses him for a moment, and, panicked, starts shoving his way through the crush of people as he searches. He hears something and, suspicious, he rounds the corner to find Malfoy, wand drawn, facing three wizards. Harry draws his own wand and clears his throat.
One of the wizards’ eyes widen in recognition. “Harry Potter!”
“That’s me,” says Harry. “Anything I can help you with, gentlemen?” His eyes flick to Malfoy. “I see you found my friend.”
“Friend?” One of the wizards lowers his wand.
“Yes,” says Harry. “Come along, Draco. I got us a table and we’re late.”
“My apologies, Harry,” says Malfoy, sidling past the wizards. “I was...unavoidably delayed.”
Harry’s back itches as they emerge from the alley, but no one comes after them and when they are out in the open he breathes a bit easier. “Are you all right?” he asks Malfoy.
Malfoy hums. “I’m fine. Looks like there actually is an advantage to having you follow me.”
Harry pauses mid-step, making about three people run into him. “Sorry,” he says to an irate-looking woman. “Sorry!”
Malfoy smirks. “Come along, Potter. You said something about a table, and I could use a cup of tea after that.”
They end up in the same cafe where Harry had lunch with Hermione only a couple hours before. The server raises an eyebrow but otherwise doesn’t react, bringing them tea and tray of pastries.
Once they are served, Malfoy leans back in his chair. “Right, why were you following me? What is it that you think I’ve done now?”
Harry flushes. “Erm--”
Malfoy rolls his eyes. “It’s just the general principle, then? If I’m out in public then I must be up to something?” He snorts. “You should have just left me to the tender mercies of that gang if you believe that.”
“I don’t.” Harry blinks, realising he’s telling the truth. “I really don’t,” he repeats.
Malfoy looks away, but not before Harry sees a flash of hurt in his eyes. “Then what?”
Harry exhales. “It’s just been a long time since I’ve seen you and I was curious what you’re up to. I almost stopped following.” He hesitates. “But then I overheard those men, so--”
Malfoy snorts. “Well I’m grateful for that, I suppose.” He sips some tea. “Not may people would have bothered.”
“Well, I do owe your mother a life debt--” Harry bites his lip. “Erm, I heard about your parents, by the way. I’m sorry.”
Malfoy stares at him for a long moment. “Salazar help me, but I actually believe you,” he finally says. He sighs. “Thanks. It’s going to be a rough holiday.”
Harry nods. “Do you have plans?”
“I have some family left, yes.” Malfoy raises an eyebrow. “I believe you know them. Andromeda and Teddy?”
Harry blinks. “Yes. I’ll be there for Christmas, too, actually.”
It’s Malfoy’s turn to look surprised. “What? Not going to the Weasleys?”
Harry coughs. “Ron and Hermione won’t be there and Ginny will, so...no. Not after our breakup.”
Malfoy hums. “Right, I read about that.” He smirks. “My coming out wasn’t covered in the papers.”
Malfoy’s gay? Well, well. Harry raises an eyebrow. “Lucky.”
Malfoy grins. “There are some advantages to being in disgrace. Still, I’d have thought the Weasleys would welcome you anyway.”
Harry shrugs. “They probably would. I’m just not up for it this year. Maybe next year.” He sips some tea. “So, did you get all your shopping done?”
Malfoy shakes his head. “Not yet. I wanted to get something special for Teddy, but then I was rudely interrupted--”
Harry nods. “I need to get something for him, too.” He smiles tentatively. “If you like, we could...coordinate gifts?”
Malfoy raises an eyebrow. “You would do that?”
“Sure.” Harry snags a pastry. “I never know what to get him.”
Malfoy purses his lips, distracting Harry for a moment. “I have some ideas.”
“Brilliant,” says Harry. “Shall we get started?”
Malfoy drains his tea, and after popping the last pastry into his mouth, nods and stands. Harry follows, placing a hand on Malfoy’s arm when he’s jostled by a passing server.
There’s a spark of awareness and he blinks. Malfoy is looking at him and in that moment Harry’s sure he felt it, too. “Problem?” Malfoy asks, looking wary.
Slowly, Harry smiles. Perhaps there’s another reason he had the urge to follow Malfoy. This could be the year to explore those reasons, he thinks as he looks at Malfoy. The man really is gorgeous. “Not at all,” he says, settling his hand on Malfoy’s back to steer out. “Now let’s go. We’ve a lot to do to prepare for a Teddy Christmas.” And as they move towards the door, he finds himself hoping that it turns out to be first of many.
***