Title - Lover Dearest

Disclaimer - I do not own any of the characters or the wizarding world.

Pairings - Harry/Draco, Harry/Oliver Wood, Draco/Astoria, Ron/Hermione

Summary - You've been 'seeing' each other for eight months, and then it's bitter and cold and feels like goodbye. Harry and Draco's relationship after the war or 'lack' of relationship. "Love you, Lover Dearest."

Author Notes - Teddy was born one year before Voldemort was killed in this and I hope i've got the time lines correct from that point onwards. I tried to keep it both canon and non-canon and I really hope it all makes sense :3 xo

It's one year after Voldemort was killed.

You've been 'seeing' each other for the last eight months, or at least that's what you call it because to him it's just fucking, and because you're a foolish Gryffindor who at some point during the eight months, fell in love with him and allow it.

At the end of the eight months you've seen each other once in the last week, compared to the usual three, or more if you go to Leaky after work.

It was quick and hard and you were bottom and there wasn't enough lube so you walked funny for the rest of the day and even the next and there was something bitter and cold about how it felt, like goodbye.

Draco wasn't at work the next day, or the one after that, and on the third you saw him, and you're pretty sure he saw you, but his face was a blank mask and he turned away just as quickly as he'd looked up.

You owl him the next week.

'Draco,

Meet me in the Leaky tomorrow after work?

- Harry'

You were dressing Teddy to take to his Grandma's before work when you got Draco's owl.

'Potter,

I can't. It's Father. Just... I'll owl you sometime.

- Draco Malfoy'

He had signed his name in his elegant his scrawl, and you stared at it for a few minutes frowning, before Teddy caught your attention and you had to leave.

The note stayed on your mind for the next two weeks, you didn't get an owl.

You were having coffee with Ron and Hermione when you saw the paper.

Teddy was on your lap, scribbling over the moving pictures with red and green crayons, when you looked down and saw Astoria Greengrass clinging onto Draco, both smiling at the camera despite the red moustache scratched onto her face, and the ring you could clearly see on her ring finger.

Your heart thudded in your ears and your stomach dropped almost to the floor.

Hermione had stared at you sadly, but hadn't said anything, or at least not yet, but she would, and Ron had muttered something like "Who'd want to marry the git?" and a little voice in your head had shouted 'I would!' and you couldn't correct it or push it away.

Draco was at work the next day.

You'd managed to avoid him for the whole morning, but luck had never really been on your side, and you were both stuck in the same office department.

He'd smiled at you, and it was the proper smile you'd only seen a handful of times, but you still couldn't decide if it was because he was trying to be friendly or if it was because you'd been seeing each other while his marriage was getting arranged, and he'd been sleeping with Astoria as well.

You offer a smile back but you can tell it's more of a grimace, and when he opens his mouth to speak you have to close your eye's because the first sentences that comes past his lips are, "I trust you saw the paper? Astoria and I, it's been arranged for a while, but I think we can make it work, be happy... We had fun, you and me, but surly you know it couldn't of worked." It's not sneered or said with malice and you have to wonder if he's just a really good actor or if everyone but you knew it was a 'fling' with 'no strings attached' and no 'feelings'.

You nod even though you didn't know that it couldn't of worked, because you fell in love and fuck. You walk away without looking back, straight to your office, grab your cloak and walk out of the department five hours before your shift ends, straight past his office.

You leave the Auror division when you're hit with a slashing hex because you were too busy focussing on Draco. Andromeda almost hexes you when you wake up in St. Mungo's and Teddy refuses to leave your side. You don't object when she makes you stay with her while you recover.

It's six months since you left the Aurors. You've seen Draco seven times in passing and he's tried to speak to you three times. The first time you tried, and managed to hold a conversation before Astoria had stepped over and linked arms with him and you'd left when he'd turned to speak to her.

The second time, Teddy had run into your legs crying, and you'd buried your face in his mousey brown hair and whispered soothing words, trying to ignore when Draco had walked away.

The third time, you were in the Leaky for Ron's birthday and everyone was at least tipsy. Hermione had hexed Draco's hair pink and spelled his mouth shut before he could say a word. She still hadn't had the talk with you yet.

It was nearly a year after you'd read about the engagement when the owl arrived.

You'd applied for Healer training four months after you left the Aurors. Teddy spent the hours you were training with Andromeda or Neville who was training to be a teacher, and wanted to open a wizarding pre-school.

Hermione had cornered you twice but the talk still hadn't happened, and Ginny had given up waiting for you to make a move and was seeing Dean Thomas again. You couldn't bring yourself to be anything but happy for her, and when you went home with Oliver Wood and he asked if you were alright while entering you, you weren't lying when you said yes.

It was an eagle, and you recognized it straight away as one of the Malfoy's.

The envelope attached was cream, with silver patterns and green scripts, and you knew Draco hadn't had any choice in the design because you remember one of your conversations in the after glow of sex and you'd spoken about weddings on the first night he hadn't left straight after.

There was a plus one on the invitation and you asked Oliver to go and he asked if you were alright because you'd finally told him about Draco.

You didn't lie, and answered with a simple "No." while looking at the extra note on the bottom of the invite in Draco's scrawl.

Oliver didn't say anything, but wrapped his arms around your shoulders, and folded his tall body over you, as if he could protect you from the hurt that was still there.

'Potter,

I wish we could have ended on a better note.

I'm sorry.'

You go to the wedding.

Andromeda had been invited, but did not go and you took Teddy with Oliver by side-apparition, because you refuse to take a portkey. Hermione and Ron were already there, and she looked beautiful in her pink dress and slight pregnancy bump and you told her so and managed to joke when Ron told you not to steal his wife.

You keep one hand holding Teddy's at all times, and he stays close to your leg even when he sees other children, while his hair turns mousey brown like his fathers, with pink stripes the same colour as his mothers. Oliver keeps a hand on your lower back, and Hermione sends you worried glances and Ron's already at the buffet.

You keep a vice grip on Oliver's hand when they say their vows, and Hermione grabs you into a hug when it's done and Teddy still wont let go of your hand, but you're not complaining because you didn't expect it to still hurt this much and his little hand keeps you grounded.

You make it through the meal and you laugh when Hermione whacks Ron on the head because he's shovelling food into his mouth, and you share a few kisses with Oliver and smile with Teddy who has let go of your hand because there's food and he tries to be like his Uncle Ron, and the rooms full of laughter and it's nice, as long as you don't look up at the head table where you can feel Draco scowling into the back of you head.

You almost make it through the whole day, until just before desert is served and Draco and Astoria stand.

"We're expecting." Draco placed a pale hand on Astoria's still flat stomach when the room erupts into applauses, apart from Lucius Malfoy, who is scowling because that means they did not wait until the night of marriage like tradition.

You force yourself to clap, and Oliver bumps knees with you under the table.

You give your Congratulations, but it's pained and leave before the dancing starts, and you notice the odd look Astoria gives Draco.

He hadn't told her about you.

Hermione gives birth six months later. You're named Godfather, and Teddy's excited because he thinks he's finally found another child he likes even though they're a girl.

Lillian Molly Weasley.

You cry later, and Oliver just holds you and you feel bad because he's still with you and you can't love him fully, because you still love Draco, who's married and expecting a baby of his own and Oliver loves you because he tells you in the morning and afternoon and at lunch, not just after he's come like Draco did, but you do love him a bit.

You're on night shift at St. Mungo's when Astoria is rushed in.

She's gone into labour a week later than expected and they're short staffed, so you get sent to help.

You're the first person to hold the baby, you clean it and wrap it in a blanket and already a few minutes born, you can tell he's going to look like his father.

Scorpius Lucius Malfoy.

Draco corners you later.

"I... Thank you, that can't of been easy." and he huffs because that's stating the obvious.

You don't say anything, but turn you head away and bite the inside of your cheek so hard that you taste blood, because if you didn't there's so many sarcastic and scathing comments you could say.

When you turn your head back he's closer then you remember, so close you can see the light blue specks in his eyes and then he kisses you and you're frozen.

You push him away so hard he stumbles, and his cheeks are flushed and his hairs a mess from ruffling it and there's your blood on his lips.

"Your wife has just had your child, and you come here, to me and you kiss me?" You hissed but didn't let him reply. "You give no goodbyes, you tell me you're going to owl me and the next thing I know is that you're engaged to the woman who you were sleeping with at the same time as me and you invite me to your wedding and expect me to be happy for you and now your son has just been born and kiss me?" You expected to be happy if Draco ever looked at you the same way, but all you can feel is hurt that shouldn't still be there and bile rising in your throat and he's just staring at you and both your chests are heaving but not from the same thing.

"I made a mistake." He murmured and you're not sure if he's talking about kissing you again or marrying Astoria or leaving you, and you kind of hope it's the last but even that is fogged because he has just had a son who his three hours old, and you could not do this to anyone, so you walk away.

It's the end of your night shift anyway.

Three months after that night is Teddy's birthday.

You're sat with your back to Oliver's knees, helping Teddy open his presents and handing Lillian, who's tiny but fascinated by the bright paper, the parts ripped off. Andromeda sits in her armchair, Neville and Luna are there along with Dean and all of the Weasley's, and George has charmed some of the paper to fly around like butterflies.

Your stomach is twisting because Teddy's just got to the main present from you and you weren't sure if you should give it to him but Andromeda agreed that you should and Dean painted it.

Teddy's eyes are huge and his hair is pink. He's been asking more about his parents, and you felt dreadful because you couldn't tell him much and it still hurt Andromeda too much, so you had asked Dean to paint a portrait of them and Oliver had suggested to get all the Marauder's painted as well and they'd got Snape added.

And then Teddy's hugging you with his little arms and crying, and you're crying a bit too so Oliver stands and hangs the painting above the fireplace.

It's more like home now and that day you only think of Draco once.

You sneak out of bed three nights later and stand in front of the portrait until they start to stir.

It's a comfy common room with several doors leading off of it and you know one of them is a potions lab because Dean had to paint one in after Snape refused to say anything if he didn't have one.

Your mother and father are staring proudly down at you and Sirius is practically bouncing and Tonks keeps on changing her hair, while Remus just smiles his soft smile and Snape's face is almost blank but there's a shine in his eyes that has never been directed at you before, and your feel all sorts of warmth because it's almost admiration.

You tell them everything that's happened and all about Draco, you forget that Draco is Snape's godson until you call him every name under the sun and Sirius is laughing, while the others try not to and even Snape's lips are twitching when he speaks.

"He may be my godson but he has never been fully aware of others feelings, and it is a shame that you had to be one of those people."

You don't realise how long you've been talking with them until the sun filters through the curtains and across the painting, so you tell them you'll talk to them later and so will Teddy and they tell you they're proud of you and you're all crying a bit again, but this time they're mostly happy tears.

Seven years later and you're taking Teddy to King's Cross station for his first year at Hogwarts.

You're still seeing Oliver and you both kiss Teddy goodbye and wish him luck and make him promise to write at least once a week.

You both go home and end up under the covers, sweating and panting

"I love you." You say it when you come and you say it again after and you almost mean it completely because there is still that tiny part of you that loves Draco because he had so many of your firsts and it's always been him, but Oliver understands and he says it back and means it still.

"Love you, Lover Dearest."

Epilogue

Four years later and Teddy is fifteen.

He's in Gryffindor and Prefect and he's happy and you couldn't be more proud of him.

Oliver's hand is wrapped in yours and there's a ring on your ring finger and one on his, and you're happy as well.

It's Lillian's first year a Hogwarts and Hermione and Ron are fussing over her while there little boy Hugo hugs her and you still haven't had the talk with Hermione but you remember two years ago when she'd whispered 'You're happy now and he didn't deserve you.' and walked away.

Astoria had cheated on Draco when Scorpius was six and they'd divorced five months later, and you'd felt sorry for them all and then Draco had been drunk one night and had tried to kiss and undress you and any of the love you had had left for him then had gone because he was not the person he had been and it still hurt.

Draco's at King's Cross with Astoria and they're both stiff and awkward but they love their son and hug him goodbye and when Draco's eyes catch yours, you nod and smile and he kind of smiles back.

an - Thank you so much for you lovely reviews on War of Words, i'm so glad people enjoyed it as i've never written anything like that and i was quite proud of it!

To /guest - Thank you so much! With /pain/ there wasn't really any story behind that part, but thinking about it i guess it would be that for some reason Harry was attacked either it was from a Death Eater or somebody else, and Harry is under some kind of curse or the after effects of an incredibly strong crucio and Tom and Snape are trying to help him :D