Title: Fur Pause
Author: Lady B
Pairing: Harry/Draco, implied Hermione/Blaise
Rating: PG13 (for language)
Challenge: HPFanFic10x10 table prompt: familiar
Word Count: 1391 words
Summary: The hat that started it all. Harry finds Draco's furry hat.
Disclaimer: While JKR is busy with book 7, I thought I'd borrow Harry and Draco for a short time.
Author Note: The title is a play on the words "faux pas" that came to me out of the blue.
Dedication: To lj user domina malfoy because she planted the idea in my head for this.
- - -
"Harry?"
Harry looked up from the box he was currently sorting through to see Hermione holding what he thought to be a dead animal in her hands.
"What's that?" he asked.
"You tell me, he's your husband."
"Where'd you find that?"
Hermione pointed to a box labeled "Third Year – Hogwarts". Harry thought for a moment before a knowing glint came into his eye.
"It's that bloody furry hat he wore during the winter of our third year at school!" he chortled.
"Should I toss it?" Hermione asked.
"No...I want to try something first." Harry grinned. Hermione knew that grin all too well. It was his "I'm going to prank someone" grin, her own husband being on the receiving end of some of Harry's more elaborate pranks.
"Harry, you're simply a Marauder at heart." she laughed, handing him the fur bundle in her hands.
- - -
When Draco had explained why he wanted to clean out the attic at Malfoy Manor, Harry had treated him to the best round of love-making Draco had ever experienced in the 10 years they had been married.
So he enlisted Hermione and Blaise's help with cleaning out the attic and designating things for the community-wide "garage sale" to help raise money for The Remus J Lupin Foundation.
Harry and Draco had originally started the foundation just after the end of the war to give aid to those who had no means of getting the Wolfsbane potion, named in honor of the one man who had stood by both their sides.
Then they had branched out into other areas, namely the innocent children who had been orphaned during and after the war, and started an orphanage for them.
- - -
As it were, the sale had been spectacular, raising more than enough money to allow all those old enough to attend school, the money being used for their tuition, with some left over to make three times the amount of Wolfsbane for those who needed it.
- - -
Weeks afterward, Draco was walking to his office through Diagon Alley when he spotted something familiar on the head of one of the patrons. It was a fur hat, very similar to one he had when he'd gone to school. He frowned, thoughtful. Suddenly turning on his heel, he headed back the way he'd come, Apparating home as soon as he reached the Apparition point.
He immediately went to the attic and found his box of mementos from school. Yanking the Spell-O-Tape off, he searched frantically for the one thing that meant so much to him. Spotting no sign of the hat, he scowled darkly. He went back downstairs and threw some floo powder into the flames.
"Hogwarts, Headmaster's office!"
- - -
Harry was enjoying a peaceful lunch when the fireplace roared to life behind him and the irate voice of his husband echoed around the room.
"Harry James Malfoy-Potter, you have some explaining to do, you great git!"
Harry choked on his tea and hurried to compose himself before turning to face his husband.
"Problem, Draco?"
"Oh, yes, there's a problem, Potter!" Draco scowled. "Where's. My. Hat?"
Harry waited exactly two seconds before replying, "What hat?"
It took Draco exactly half a second before he exploded, "What the bloody hell do you mean 'what hat'? You know 'what hat'!"
"Draco, I assure you, I have no clue what you're talking about." Harry resisted the urge to grin. It was such a turn on to see his husband so angry.
"Imagine my surprise when I went to work this morning and saw MY HAT on someone else's head! Explain, Potter!"
"Draco, you told me, Hermione and Blaise that you no longer wanted anything that was boxed in the attic. I asked you more than once if you were absolutely sure about it and you waved me off. What was I supposed to think?"
"But that was MY FAVORITE HAT!" Draco shouted.
"Like you can't buy another." Harry snorted. The look Draco gave him was one he hadn't seen since school, 100 loathing.
"My mother bought that hat for me the one and only time we went on holiday to France. It was the best time in my young life and the best memory I've ever had of my mother. And you. Sold. It! Practically gave it away! How could you, Harry? You could have asked me first!"
"Draco." Harry sighed, but the only answer he got was Draco cutting off the connection.
"Seems you messed up, Harry." came a deep voice from nearby. He looked up at the Sorting Hat.
"I never realized it was that important to him. I guess I always thought it to be a silly fur hat. I'll make it up to him, Virgil."
"Be sure you do, young man."
- - -
Harry went home just after dinner to a near quiet house.
"Welcome home, Harry Potter, sir." Dobby greeted him at the door. Harry handed over his cloak after removing the small package he'd placed in one of the pockets.
"Have you seen Draco, Dobby?"
"Master Draco be in bedroom, pouting, sir. He be there all evening. Not come out to eat. Make Lysa sad. Lysa have no master to feed. Wards too strong for elf. Wait for Harry Potter to come home."
"I'll take care of that, Dobby, thank you."
Dobby nodded before disappearing with a quiet pop. Harry headed upstairs to their bedroom, quickly dismantling Draco's wards with a thought and entering the room. Draco was curled up in the middle of the bed, a picture of abject misery. Harry sat on the edge of the bed and touched his foot. He had to back away quickly when Draco tried to kick him.
"You going to talk to me?"
Another kick.
"You've got to talk to me sometime, you know?"
Another kick.
"Draco!" Harry exclaimed, exasperated. This time, when Draco kicked out, Harry grabbed his ankle and hauled him in, nestling his body between Draco's spread legs. Draco screwed his eyes and lips shut and crossed his arms over his chest. Harry simply planted a small kiss to his cheek.
"I'm sorry about your hat, Draco. I don't know how many times I can say that and mean it. If I had known, I wouldn't have taken it. You never said those items in that box were important to you. I just thought it was all a bunch of painful memories you were keeping locked away."
"Not all of them were painful." Draco muttered, still keeping his eyes closed.
"I can promise to make it up to you."
Draco finally opened his eyes and glared. "I don't see how you can make this up to me, Harry. That hat was one of a kind and I'm pretty sure they don't make them anymore. It's not like you can go out and buy another."
"I have a present for you." Harry sat up and enlarged the package he'd brought, handing it to Draco. Draco sat up and eyed it suspiciously.
"Is it going to bite me?"
"I promise it's not going to bite you." Harry chuckled. Draco ripped off the packaging and yanked the lid off. He stared for the longest time at the item in the box before drawing it out. He stared at it before angrily throwing it at Harry's head.
"How DARE you!" he hissed, struggling to get off the bed. Harry simply pinned him down with his own body.
"Draco, look at the damn thing! Will you just look?" Harry cried, practically shoving it in Draco's face. Draco finally looked at the inside of the hat, eyes and mouth dropping open in surprise.
This hat property of Draco Lucius Malfoy
Given to him by Narcissa Malfoy
July 23, 1993
Paris, France
Draco looked up at Harry.
"But I saw-"
"A copy. A fake. A very well done imitation if it was able to fool even you." Harry laughed. "I would never get rid of something that important to you. I sensed it when Hermione showed it to me. So I made a copy and put it up for sale."
"You great git." Draco sniffled, hating the tears that clouded his vision.
"I love you, too, Prat." Harry laughed, leaning in for a kiss. The kiss led to other things that aren't discussed in polite company.
But Draco never doubted Harry ever again.
-Fin-