Author's Note: I'm sorry for the wait, if you cared enough about this story to wait that is. I had a really hard time starting this chapter. There were several points that I wanted to get across but the words just wouldn't arrange themselves in the right way so I had to start it over three times. But here it is, finished to the best of my ability. There is a longer A/N at the bottom of this chapter; I beseech you all to take a quick peak at it.

Chapter 3

Green eyes gazed sleepily at the canopy of a four-poster bed. It was well past the time that he usually got up but Harry just couldn't bring himself to move. Teddy was sleeping as peacefully as he could with the summer cold he had and so Harry had plenty of time to simply lay and think before the boy would even stir from his potion induced sleep, and so think he did.

Today was Scorpius first birthday.

It had been one year since he had given birth to the beautiful little boy and a little less than that since he had held his baby in his arms. There was a profound ache in his heart at this anniversary and a burning behind his eyes but he didn't cry. This sort of sadness had grown beyond tears a little while ago. He wondered what Draco would be doing for their son's first birthday. Knowing the Malfoy as he did, he assumed it would be some large flashy event that Harry would have never agreed to. He was all for spoiling his child (he did it with Teddy shamelessly after all) and giving him all the love and affection that he himself had lacked as a child, but Harry disagreed with the flashy dramatics that had always been more Draco's style. Still, elaborate festivities or not, it hurt something awful to know that he wouldn't be there.

Some days he woke up and still couldn't fathom why Draco would do such a thing. Did he honestly believe that Harry would be an incompetent father or was it just petty revenge for some unknown slight? Either way, today was not a happy day for one Harry Potter and though he felt a bit pathetic for doing so, he was going to lie in bed for however long Teddy let him, trying not to think about what he was missing.

Draco Malfoy had never been what someone would call soft. He wasn't affectionate, he certainly wasn't ruled by his emotions and he cared little for the feelings of those around him. However, as he gazed down at the sweet pale face of the one he loved more than anyone and anything, he couldn't help but feel a swell of warmth inside of him. He could hardly believe that Scorpius was a year old today.

Despite the fact that he wasn't there through the pregnancy, nor was he anywhere near the vicinity of the hospital when the babe was born, he had felt his son come into the world. The Malfoy family magic, like the family magic of all the Ancient Pureblood houses, was strong and he had been highly aware that the shiver that ran down his spine in the early hours of the morning exactly a year ago had been his family extending, the Magic that ran through his veins stretching to envelope another, to welcome them though he hadn't done so physically.

He had known that Harry's baby was his; there was no way it couldn't be. Despite what the public liked to speculate about the other young man's personal life, he'd known that he'd been the only one to be with the Potter heir in such an intimate way. He'd been the only one Harry had allowed that close to him. He'd been the only one Harry loved…

But there was a difference between knowing in your head that something was true and actually feeling it in one's very magic and the first time he'd ever laid eyes on Scorpius, small and red and whining in hunger in the arms of his solicitor…that reality was even stronger than the pull on his magic. His son, so small and perfect and real, had captured his attention and his heart immediately.

Scorpius had been and still was his near carbon copy. One would have to be blind not to see that that was his son. The soft blond hair was the same inherited Malfoy shade, he had slightly pointed features and high cheekbones though they were softened by baby fat, and his complexion was identical to Draco's own. There were three significant differences that Draco had been able to point out immediately and a forth that became more and more obvious over time. The first was his lips, full and pale and nothing like Draco's own thin ones. The second was his nose, button shaped and small, completely dissimilar to Draco's aristocratically sharp one. The third was his eye shape, almond and vaguely exotic looking sitting in the small round face. The last also had to do with his eyes, and Draco had been both ecstatic and horribly sad when he noticed it. Scorpius's baby blue eyes had been slow in turning but when they had they had become the most brilliant emerald color, a color his precious baby could only share, like he did the rest of his non-Malfoy features, with one person.

It was hard, Draco could admit to himself, looking into those eyes every day, because often times he could see a phantom image of another face looking back at him. The eyes not bright and innocent and curious, but dark and hurt filled and uncomprehending.

He thought about Harry at least once a day, and the look of utter loathing that had been in his eyes on that first day of court, and the look of utter despair they had reflected on the last day. He couldn't afford to spend more time thinking about the man than that, but those eyes…they were hard to shake when he saw them every day. In fact, they were looking up at him now.

Scorpius gazed sleepily up at him, blinking lethargically as he stretched his tiny fists above his head and his legs kicked out. He babbled quietly to Draco and the man smiled in amusement as the tiny form slowly woke himself up. "Good morning, Little Prince," he whispered and Scorpius gaze focused on him at the familiar pet name. "Happy Birthday." He was met with a mostly gummy smile as if the little one could actually understand the words and Draco's heart melted a little and he smiled happily back.

No, Draco Malfoy had never been what someone would call soft, but then again no one had ever seen him when he was alone with his son.

The first owl arrived that afternoon and it had startled Harry so badly he'd shattered his favorite tea cup which in turn scared the owl which flew into the living room where Teddy was napping on the sofa. Harry had given a short, panicked chase that ended with him forcefully taking the letter from the owl and shooing it out the window, all the noise had woken Teddy and while the toddler was thankfully more amused than frightened, it had still taken a while to get the sick and whining child back to sleep. Perhaps it was this frustrated and tired mood that had made Harry toss the letter aside with a scoff after reading what it had to say.

The day before, while out shopping he had met a man, Joshua, whom Harry could admit to himself, was a bit intriguing and whom had seemed fascinated with Harry himself. After awkwardly introducing himself seeing that Teddy was still cradled in one arm and he was still reaching out for his bags with the other, he was surprised to see that the man's eyes, blue and wide, didn't do the customary flicker up to his faded scar. He had simply shook Harry outstretched had solemnly before casting a feather-light charm and placing the bags delicately over Harry's wrist with a, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Harry."

Harry, in turn, had floundered for something to say after a hasty 'thanks' and 'you too' and so had been prepared to walk away when the man had abruptly asked if he could owl Harry sometimes. Not having grown up in the wizarding world, nor having anything much to do with dating or basic social interactions, it had taken Harry several confused moments before he realized that the man had basically asked for the magical equivalent of his telephone number. "No, sorry," Harry had replied belatedly. "I don't give my address out to strangers," which was perfectly true but the man had only smiled and said that his owl would be able to find him without it and so Harry had shrugged the shoulder not supporting Teddy's head. After all, if that were true then Harry could hardly stop him short of putting up wards. "That's fine then. Thank you again, bye."

Without waiting for an answer Harry had stepped around that man and continued on his way home. The whole encounter had been strange, from the comment about how sad his eyes were to owl comment (which he would have to ask Luna was common because, really, did people just go around giving their addresses out?), and so he put it out of his head so that he could focus on more important things like how his arm was going numb and wondering if he was feeding Teddy too much. Besides, he doubted the man was serious and anything would come of it.

Obviously, by the disgruntled owl that had flown out of his window twenty minutes before, he was wrong.

The letter had been short and overly polite, written in a scrawl neater than Harry's own though not by much:

To Harry Potter,

My name is Joshua Dubhghlas. We met in Diagon Alley yesterday and you agreed that I could write to you and so, at my earliest opportunity, I have. I apologize in advance if I am being too forward, it is an unfortunate personality trait, but I find myself interested in you and I would like to get to know you better.

Given what little I know about your public history, I understand if you would prefer not to contact me, but I would be pleased if you would at least consider it; I would like us to be friends. On that note, any letters you send can be addressed to Dubhghlas Gardens and they will reach me.

The letter went on to ask very basic questions, like did he enjoy Quidditch or watched any muggle television shows or played an instrument. Nothing deep or probing, just friendly, conversation staring questions before he rounded off his letter:

I do hope you write back, or even if you don't that you won't begrudge me for continuing writing to you. If you ever would like me to stop, just send me a missive saying just that and you'll have my deepest apologies and I'll not contact you again.

As it is, I hope to hear from you,

Joshua

Harry could appreciate the boldness of the letter, it seemed a very Gryffindor thing to do, However he wasn't interested in making new friends or being whatever else Dubhghlas had in mind as he doubted it was just friendship. He didn't need nor did he want another relationship, Draco had turned that part of him off completely, and while he probably could use some more friends in his life, he was perfectly content with Luna. So no, he wouldn't write and initiate this…whatever it was. He was fine.

The rest of the day passed painstakingly slowly. Teddy napped on and off and for the most part Harry was left alone with his thoughts; wondering about Scorpius and Draco and what could be going on at Malfoy manor and ultimately trying to fight off the depressing feelings that were weighing him down today more than usual. By dinner time, though Teddy was feeling much better after a day of rest and babying, even he was subdued, having the unfortunate knack of picking up on Harry's feelings and Harry felt a bit of self-loathing at that. Teddy was the one who was with him and the even though he longed for Scorpius with all his heart, he had to focus on the son he had. It wasn't fair to Teddy to have to live like this; with a father who would sometime get so emotionally self-involved that he forgot that he had a responsibility to another person, another child, and that he couldn't just have these days. It was unhealthy for both of them. And so when he tucked Teddy into bed that night, he hugged him close and told him he loved him and promised to try harder. Teddy had blinked up at him with still slightly feverish eyes but Harry thought that even though he hadn't elaborated and Teddy was still so young, that the little boy understood.

The next owl came early the following morning in and Harry's new found resolve to do better was tested. This time he recognized the elegant scrawl that graced the front of the ornate parchment. It didn't have the Malfoy seal on it, and was instead was simply tied with a ribbon which told Harry that the letter had probably been written in a hurry. Or fury considering the short missive's content.

Potter,

I admit that I was confused when the package arrived and it took me a while to work it out but I know it was from you. If you have any since of self-preservation, which I doubt, you will never pull this sort of stunt again. I could have had you before the Wizengamot this morning instead of just warning you away; you know you're violating the orders of the Body by having any sort of unauthorized contact with MY son, indirectly though it may be.

This will be my only time giving you such a warning.

Heir Lord Draco Malfoy

Harry considered the writing for several long minutes as he tried to work out what exactly he was feeling and if the pain in his chest had gotten any worse from Draco calling Scorpius his son solely. Finally, he decided that yes, it did make his heart ache even more profoundly but since it wasn't something that was unexpected he could deal with it.

He glanced over at the steely eye eagle owl that had delivered the short not and waved it away. "I'll not be writing back, you can go." It seemed to give a glare similar to its owner before making a silent exit through his still open bedroom window. He spent a little more time re-reading the letter again before deciding that he would ignore it. Though he hadn't doubted her, it was nice to know that Luna had been right. Draco couldn't do anything. He could assume that Harry sent the gift for Scorpius but he had absolutely no way to prove it, confirmed by the that that he had written to Harry instead of taking it directly to the Wizengamot like he would have been perfectly within his right to do should he had had proof. Further still, having sent a muggle toy and using a public post owl, there was no way they could even trace it back to him. As long as Harry didn't admit to anything, which he wouldn't, it would hold no bearing in court.

Harry smiled a small little smile.

He would not risk sending more than a single birthday gift, maybe a Christmas present now that he knew he could get away with it, but it was still something. Of course he would never know is Scorpius had ever or would ever see the presents, and Draco would now be more alert to 'anonymous' things arriving at the Manor, but it was something, and Harry could live with that. So while the threat as well as the dismissal of him being Scorpius' other parent hurt, he would bury that pain and continue on because as small as it was, it was still a tiny bit of a win.

Luna arrived back from her trip a few days later and with her came a third owl. Teddy had gotten better and was back to his old self, happy and fascinated with the world around him and even more so with his aunt Luna who had brought him a story book as a gift from her travels. Harry hadn't looked at it, but he was sure he would come to know in intimately over the next few weeks as Teddy had all but demanded that they read it at bedtime and Harry had agreed with no resistance whatsoever. They were all siting in the living room, the floor to be exact, trying to build a…something, with Teddy's blocks. The little boy was being particularly bossy but neither Harry nor Luna minded as he ordered them where to put the brightly colored shapes. The structure was becoming monstrous and Harry had to wonder as which point in time Teddy had accumulated so many blocks and whether or not the little boy was holding up with accidental magic because he was sure it should have collapsed by now.

"I got a letter a few days ago," he stated absently and he saw Luna glance at this before she continued on placing blocks on her side of the…castle? Fort?

"Who was it from?" she asked a minute or so later when it became apparent he wasn't going to elaborate on his own.

"Draco."

Luna's pretty face frowned up in a way Harry wasn't used to seeing. "What did he want?" she asked, her normally soft voice a little clearer and a lot harsher than normal. It made Harry smile that she was already indignant on his behalf.

"I did send a gift to Scorpius. He threatened me with the Wizengamot and told me not to do it again."

Luna sniffed delicately. "If he had proof he would have taken you right away."

"I know. You were right." This time Luna sent him a dreamy smile and her demeanor went back to normal. After a few moments she paused.

"Did he say anything about my gift?" she questioned curiously and Harry turned his head to frown at her.

"What gift?" he asked and Luna tutted.

"The gift I sent, of course. You didn't think I wouldn't send a gift to my godson, did you?"

As always, the word 'godson' seemed to make her a little sad. A few weeks before he was due, Harry had timidly asked her if she would be willing to be Godmother to his then unborn child and Luna had happily accepted. The connection had formed then at her acknowledgement and had only grown stronger as Harry's pregnancy progressed. When Scorpius had been born she had been almost as overwhelmed as Harry. She had told him that out in the waiting room, she had felt it at once and that the first time she had held him she had known that this little person would be hers to protect and love and care for when Harry couldn't.

The bond of a Godparent and their Child was profound for witches and wizards, magic made it so; but before their bond could settle properly, before it could strengthen, Scorpius had been ripped away from Harry, beyond both of their reaches. Their connection was stretched and thinned now, and she couldn't feel the babe like she could before but they both took some comfort in knowing it was strong enough that Draco wouldn't be able to name another Godmother. To do so would he would need Luna's permission to break the bond which she would never give. Neither held false hope about Draco letting her anywhere near Scorpius however.

"He didn't mention anything," Harry smiled kindly at her, pleasantly surprised that she'd sent a gift though he shouldn't have been. Of course she would have. "But if he did it wouldn't have mattered, he can't take legal action against you for a gift. As Godmother, even though he didn't appoint you, you have rights to Scorpius too. More than I do anyway," Harry sighed and Luna reached over to grasp his hand, their pain shared at that moment. But before Teddy noticed the turn in their behavior, Harry determinedly shoved the feeling down. He would do better. He had promised.

A screech interrupted his thoughts and he looked towards one of the many open windows (it was the height of the summer after all) and was confused to see a puffed up little owl trying to get his attention. "He's adorable," Luna said pleasantly. "Do you know him?"

Harry was about to say no when Teddy spoke up pouting. "He woke me up the other day," he told Luna seriously and while the woman leaned over to grab and coo at the boy, forcing his pout away into giggles, Harry finally recognized the bird as the one who had wreaked havoc the day of Scorpius' birthday. "Oh," he muttered and stood to approach it. It was a cute little thing, like Luna had said, though Harry hadn't had time to appreciate it last time it was here. It resembled a barn owl though it was much too small and it's dark eyes watched Harry suspiciously he approached before holding out it's foot imperiously, making Harry roll his eyes.

"Hey, you started it," he told it untying the letter, referring to the last visit and the little thing puffed up indignantly but Harry ignored it so it flew away with a huffy bark. He opened the letter scanning through it and curiously, a small smile flickering across his face at the content.

"Whose that from then?" Luna asked after giving him a few moments to read. She had released Teddy and had gone back to work diligently on the misshapen block thing.

"A very strange man I met in Diagon Alley," Harry answered, not finding it rude that Luan had asked after what could have been private mail. She wasn't one for formalities and besides, she knew perfectly well that she was the only one whom sent him letters; pleasant ones at least. He retook his seat on the floor, reading through it again, and with much more consideration than he had the first letter when he felt eyes on him. He glanced up to see Luna watching him closely with open interest. "He's trying to make friends apparently," he intoned handing the letter over for her perusal as he took up his building again after Teddy shot him a pointed look.

"He seems nice," Luna said after a few moments, placing the letter in her lap.

"Maybe. He said something when we first met that was odd."

"You didn't respond to his first letter," Luna continued on as if not hearing him.

"No. I don't need any more friends. So called friends."

"But having friends, good friends," she stressed. "Is nice."

Harry looked over at her and saw the sad little smile playing on her lips as she watched him and Teddy. He forgot sometimes, as it was hard to believe that someone would ever dislike Luna, that until he'd become her friend, she hadn't had one before.

"Teddy done! Daddy! Look!"

Harry turned back and smiled brightly to match Teddy's enthusiasm. "Wow, look at that. It's amazing!" he exaggerated and Teddy beamed. He looked so proud of himself that Harry didn't have the heart to ask him what it was.

Luna apparently had no such reservations. "What is it?" she asked inquisitively and Teddy let out a put upon sigh.

"Auntie Luna, it space sta'ion." Both adults turned back to the structure with poorly concealed confusion. Harry couldn't help but wonder how the boy knew what a space station was, they certainly had never read about them together, and he didn't know much about muggle technology but surely space stations didn't have randomized towers and bridges and such.

"It's lovely," he said instead and hugged Teddy to him.

"Of course it is. Forgive me Teddy, I've never seen a space station before," Luna apologized sagely and Harry hid a smirk as Teddy grinned. As Teddy launched into an explanation of space stations to Luna, Harry glanced at the letter still settled in her lap and let his mind wander. Good friends, like Luna was and was still proving to be every day (as confirmed by how she was listening quite seriously to Teddy), were nice and if Dubhghlas turned out to be like Luna, well, maybe he would consider it.

A/N:

I actually emailed most of this next bit to a few of you who reviewed/PMd me with questions and concerns and opinions about why none of what Draco is doing is right and/or fair, so here's a general answer to all of you if it applies:

A few of you are up in arms about Draco owing Harry and Harry being the savior so he should just use his fame/the Potter or Black name. Well, to that I say: Harry's just some stupid kid. Before you call blasphemy, he is. The reason I brought up all that (totally made up) law nonsense into the last chapter was to emphasize this and that the fact that the Wizarding world is corrupt. I love the Harry Potter series and Harry is by far my favorite character, but a canon Harry would be a shitty Lord Potter. He doesn't know anything. He's a muggle raised character who, while resourceful and reasonably intelligent and powerful, was a rather lackluster student at Hogwarts and has what equates to a fifth grade education in the muggle world. What does he know about heading a prestigious line? Sure in canon Draco's an ass but his family name is kind of a big deal even with him not being The-Boy-Who-Lived.

Besides, what is really known about the Potter's other than Harry fame? Seriously, try to think about it in terms of canon, not what you've read in fanfiction. Not much is there? The Malfoy's, or at least Lucius, however have proven time and time again that they have money and power and the know-how to use it. Logically speaking, Draco would have to learn how to take on and lead the family name and in that regard he, without doubt, is better than Harry. This story is painfully AU in most cases but I'm not going to make Harry suddenly know a bunch of stuff he has had no reason to have known. That's not to say he won't learn it now that he has the proper motivation but he's barely an adult who had spent his childhood playing a very intense game of Man Hunt (1), what does he know about politics?

On that note, the Wizengamot, it is generally agreed, is made up of Old Families, yeah? And those old families want what's best for the world in their own narcissistic way and that means more power for other old families. In their eyes Harry's some halfwit half-blood and Draco is a f*cking Malfoy. Who would you choose to raise a Pureblood heir (whom still has claim to the Potter and Black names, Scorpius hasn't been disowned or anything, so one hurtful decision to Harry and two once (theoretically) great lines fall back into the hands of a knowledgeable wizard aka Scorpius when he gets older)?

Lastly, the life debt thing is all kinds of backwards. Frankly, I think the Malfoy's went through enough in canon and Draco and Narcissa both at some point saved Harry's life and so I'm calling it even. Life debts have no place in this story.

There. That's everything I have to say on the matter. To be perfectly honest, I enjoy when people question my motives, because it shows that you read and have put actual thought into your reviews and that you are emotionally invested in this story which I think is what all writers want. You matter, your opinions matter and mean a lot to me. However, I also would like you guys to be reasonable. It's fanfiction. I could say in the next chapter that Harry dies, Draco raises Scorpius to be the next Dark Lord, Teddy is the new child of prophecy and they kill each other in a climactic battle at King's Cross and there is literally nothing you guys could do about that other than pitch a fit. I wouldn't do it (though if someone else would like to, I claim copyright for that idea) but I could.

My point is, chill out. It gets better. You know, maybe.

(1)Man hunt – Did anyone else play this as a kid? It's like 'Tag' or 'You're It' times 10. Basically if you're caught, you die. Kids man.