Harry gasped, feeling his legs tremble as Draco spilled inside him at the same time he came. His whole body relaxed, but he didn't move, liking the way he was still on top of Draco, with him still buried deep, keeping him there. But when he felt Draco soften, and his own body go limp in response, he rolled to the side, breathing heavily.
"You alright there?" Draco asked, wearing that devilish grin, and Harry weakly smacked his chest.
"Shut up. I did all the work this time," he complained, turning toward his boyfriend, who still had that smug smile on his lips.
"This time, huh?" Draco said, rolling his eyes. "How many times have I made you come while you were crying, while the pretty one here just lay back and enjoyed it?" he teased, and Harry felt his cheeks burn violently before smacking Draco's chest again and laughing.
"You wanna make it a competition?" Draco challenged.
"In your dreams, Malfoy," Harry muttered, covering his eyes with his arm.
"Oh, back to Malfoy, are we? I came inside you two minutes ago and I'm already back to being called by my last name?" Draco teased, and Harry reached for the pillow behind him, whacking him with it as Draco burst out laughing.
They were interrupted by the soft sound of crying, and both of them sighed. Harry tried to remember who had gotten up last time, running through the routine in his sleepy mind, and then realized it had been him, he'd been the one to breastfeed James.
"It's your turn," he muttered, and Draco groaned.
"You think it's hunger or a dirty nappy?" he asked, pulling on his black briefs.
"Diaper," Harry replied simply.
"You're only saying that because you don't want to get up and feed him," Draco mumbled, opening the bedroom door.
"You can't prove that," Harry called after him.
He sighed, casting a cleaning charm over himself before stretching. That had been the third time they'd managed to have sex since James was born, and considering how active their sex life had been before his arrival, that was saying something. James was already three months old.
"It was the diaper," Draco's voice called out, and Harry laughed.
"You owe me a sickle!" he shouted back.
"Up your arse," Draco replied, and Harry rolled his eyes.
"You kind of already have that," he teased, hearing Draco's laugh echo from the other room.
He sat up in bed, running his hands through his hair before getting up and heading to the bathroom. He wanted to take a quick shower before the guests arrived, they weren't even supposed to have had sex, but since James had fallen asleep and Teddy was with Andromeda, they couldn't pass up the chance.
He didn't know if it was because of James, but the strange inability to hold warmth that he'd developed after dying in the Forbidden Forest had lessened. He still felt colder than before the war, but it was an improvement nonetheless.
He got dressed in warm clothes, raked his fingers through his hair in a useless attempt to make it look somewhat neat, and left the bedroom just as Draco came toward him, still in his boxers, James in his arms.
"I think I heard a Weasley downstairs," Draco said, stepping into Harry's room.
Harry rolled his eyes, adjusted James in his arms, and played with the baby's little hand as he went down the stairs. Draco was right, Ron and Hermione were already there. Ron didn't even look at him, he basically snatched James from Harry's arms and stepped back, grinning at the baby. Harry just stared, unsure what had just happened.
"How are you, Harry?" Hermione asked, hugging him. He hugged her back.
"A baby's a lot of work," he said with a weak laugh, and she raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, I can tell," she said, poking a spot on his neck, judging by the sting, it was a hickey. He winced in pain and covered it with his hand.
"Hermione," he scolded, and she laughed, casting a quick spell with her wand before walking over to James.
Harry rushed to the nearest mirror, seeing that the mark was gone, though it still ached when he touched it. He thanked her silently and joined his friends again.
"Who's Uncle Ron's handsome boy, huh?" Ron said, lifting James, who let out a gummy laugh, that bright, contagious baby giggle that made everyone smile.
"If it weren't for the hair color, no one would even guess you're a Malfoy, smiling that much," Hermione teased, tickling James's belly, earning another laugh.
"Good to know what my son's godmother says about me behind my back," Draco said, coming down the stairs, not a single strand of his hair out of place.
"It's not exactly a lie," Ron replied, adjusting James in his arms with a grin.
"How are you both?" Draco asked politely.
"Probably better rested than you two," Hermione joked, and Draco gave a small smile.
Harry drifted out of the conversation, his eyes on his baby in Ron's arms, the way James watched his best friend so intently. He seemed fascinated by the red hair, or at least that's how it looked, since he always stared whenever a Weasley showed up.
Someone knocked on the door, and Harry saw Kreacher shuffle toward it, muttering under his breath. James's big eyes widened at the sound.
"Hey there, my baby," came Theodore's voice as he hurried over, stroking James's tiny hand.
"You do realize the baby's mine, right?" Draco said, crossing his arms. Theodore waved him off dismissively.
"I brought him something," Theodore said, and Harry grew curious, watching the Slytherin pull out a small blue plush ball. It was tiny, and he handed it to James.
James grabbed it, like he did with anything handed to him, and squeezed. Lights spilled from it, like stars, floating around the baby, who burst out laughing as if it were the most amazing thing he'd ever seen. He let go of the ball and waved his arms, wriggling in Ron's hold in pure excitement.
The little stars faded as the plush fell, and James didn't seem pleased, his eyes followed the lights disappearing, and his lower lip started to tremble in that telltale pre-cry pout.
Neville chuckled, picking the ball up from the floor. Then he removed what looked like a bracelet attached to it and slipped it onto James's wrist. The baby immediately forgot he'd been about to cry.
"Where did you find that?" Draco asked, stepping closer to Ron and brushing his fingers against James's cheek. The baby's smile widened the moment he saw his father.
"My gran had one for me," Neville answered.
"Then technically the gift is yours," Draco said, shooting Theodore a mildly scolding look.
"Well, he's the one who paid for it," Neville replied with a shrug, clearly unbothered. "Now hand him over," he demanded, turning to Ron, who only turned his back and moved away from everyone. "The kid's not even yours!" Neville complained.
"He's my nephew," Ron shot back, childishly defensive.
Harry felt like he was watching two children fight over a toy, not his grown friends bickering over his tiny, fragile baby. He must have looked worried because he suddenly felt a kiss pressed to his cheek and turned to see Draco.
"You okay?" Draco asked softly, concern in his tone. Harry nodded, sighing as Draco's fingers brushed against his cheek.
He wasn't sure what happened next, but somehow James ended up in Hermione's arms, one tiny hand clutching his new toy, the other tangled in a strand of her hair.
"Think he'll end up in Ravenclaw?" she asked, glancing at Theodore, who actually seemed to consider it.
"No one's talking about my little boy going anywhere," Harry said quickly, stepping away from Draco and scooping James into his arms, hugging him tightly and closing his eyes as he breathed in that warm baby scent.
"He's got eleven years till Hogwarts, and ten till Teddy. Relax," Ron said.
"My Teddy," Harry murmured, running his fingers through James's soft hair, a hint of sadness in his voice.
James squeezed the little ball again, and more stars appeared, making him laugh even harder. There was nothing in the world Harry wouldn't do for that child.
"My boys," came a familiar female voice, startling him. Molly stood there, smiling warmly "How are you, Harry?" she asked, stepping closer, stroking James's head and pressing a kiss to Harry's forehead.
"I'm fine," he answered honestly, and James turned his gaze to Molly.
"My grandson," she said fondly, smiling at him, though James seemed far more fascinated by her red hair than by the glowing stars.
"If he were like Teddy, he'd probably choose to be a redhead," Neville remarked, earning a groan from Draco.
"Malfoy, how are you?" Molly asked politely.
"Trying to let Harry rest as much as possible," he replied, and Molly smiled, satisfied with the answer.
"Bloody Slytherin," Harry muttered to his boyfriend, who only gave him a wicked grin.
"I'm heading to the kitchen, my boy," Molly said, walking off, and Ron followed her, probably planning to steal whatever food she'd brought.
James started to squirm in Harry's arms, and he glanced at the clock on the wall. He should've fed him before everyone arrived, but he'd gotten distracted. Draco followed his gaze to the clock, seeming to realize the same thing, and took James gently from his arms.
"Want to do it here, in his room, or should I grab one of the bottles we keep for the night feedings?" he asked. Harry paused, thinking about the stored milk meant for when Draco handled the late-night feeds so Harry could sleep.
"Took too long to answer, I'm guessing the bottle?" Draco said with a small smirk, Harry gave a faint smile. "I'll take care of it," Draco added, brushing a quick kiss against Harry's lips before heading off.
Another knock echoed at the door, and Harry went to open it. George, Bill, Fleur, and Ginny were there. He sighed, and Fleur immediately pulled him into a hug. He'd forgotten how good she smelled, her scent was strong like Draco's, but sweet and floral. Still, he preferred Draco's.
"Where's James?" George asked, hugging him quickly once Fleur let go.
"Draco's feeding him," Harry replied, noticing how George's eyes darted to a spot behind him. "Please, behave," he warned, and George's gaze snapped back to him.
"I'll try," he said with a small grin, and Harry smiled in appreciation.
"How are you?" Ginny asked as he closed the door after everyone entered.
"He's been taking care of everything. If he could breastfeed James for me, he would," Harry said, meeting her brown eyes. She seemed to take in his words carefully.
"That's good. It's what you deserve, after everything," she said softly. "He's healthy?" she added, and Harry's expression softened at the thought of his little boy.
"Yeah. Doesn't cry much, but when he does, he proves his lungs work just fine," he joked, making her smile. "And he's blonde," he added, and she laughed.
"Well, Malfoy hair is nice. That's a win," she said, and Harry smiled, she was trying.
He was grateful when Kreacher appeared just to hand him a glass of juice. He knew it was one of those special nutritional potions for breastfeeding, and he took a sip. Draco appeared soon after, speaking quietly with Theo, carefully tilting the bottle while James held it himself, drinking eagerly.
Harry stopped where he stood, watching the scene, warmth spreading through his chest. He loved seeing Draco and James together, it always made him feel so safe, so at peace. It didn't matter if Draco was burping him, soothing a colic fit, simply holding him close, or, like now, feeding him a bottle.
He loved the way Draco's gray-blue eyes softened completely when he looked at James, like he was gazing at the most precious thing in the world. And maybe he was. That's certainly how Harry felt about their little boy.
He missed the weight of someone else in his lap, even if it made things twice as hard. He didn't like it when Teddy stayed at Andromeda's. He missed his little man, the way Teddy would change his hair color, and how James was always fascinated watching it happen.
"Mate?" Ron's voice broke through his thoughts, and Harry turned toward him, realizing he hadn't even noticed him approach.
"I had a child with Draco Malfoy, and I'm in love with him," Harry said, realizing just how absurd that sounded out loud, and Ron grinned.
"Yeah, you did," he agreed, slinging an arm over Harry's shoulders. "Have you ever tasted your own milk?" Ron asked, glancing at James as he fed.
"You did not just ask me that," Harry said, closing his eyes, summoning every ounce of patience he had.
"Aren't you at least a little curious?" Ron pressed, and Harry burst out laughing, stepping away from him. "It's a legit question!" Ron defended himself.
"Sure it is, Ron," Harry said, rolling his eyes.
"What's that about?" Draco asked, looking up from James to Harry when he came closer.
"Nothing," Harry said, still laughing, and pressed a quick kiss to Draco's cheek. "Is our little guy done eating?" he asked, seeing the bottle nearly empty, though James was still drinking eagerly.
"Should I give him another one?" Draco asked, worried. "If he were at your breast, he'd still be nursing," he reasoned.
Harry wasn't sure, so he hurried to the kitchen, where Molly was arranging a gorgeous treacle tart on the table for dessert. The smell alone nearly made him forget what he'd come for.
"Should we give James another bottle?" he asked.
"Give him a bit more, not a full bottle, just enough. He's only three months old," she said with a casual wave of her hand, like it was hardly an issue.
Harry nodded and went to the fridge, pulling out some of the stored milk. He warmed it to the right temperature with a charm, poured it into a clean bottle, and brought it back to Draco, who had just pulled the empty one away. James started fussing immediately, about to cry, but as soon as Draco offered the second bottle, he calmed down.
Kreacher appeared, took the used bottle, and disappeared again to wash it. The elf adored Draco, but he was completely smitten with James, no one even needed to ask him to do things for the baby, he just did them. It was kind of adorable, actually.
Another knock sounded at the door, but Arthur was quick to go open it. Harry let himself focus on James's tiny, chubby hands clutching the bottle, on how Draco was watching him, and how James's bright green eyes sparkled as he looked back up at his father.
"Ah, I was wondering where you were," came Narcissa's familiar voice. Harry looked up and saw her approaching, smiling down at James.
"You could stop ignoring me in favor of your grandson, you know," Draco complained, his voice tinged with playful petulance, and Harry chuckled softly, it was sweet.
"You'd ignore the whole world for this little emerald, Draco," she said fondly. "Potter, how are you?" she asked politely.
"Good," he answered with a nod.
My son's treating you properly, I hope, the way one should treat the person who brought the most precious thing in the world into his life?" she asked, and Harry smiled, glancing at James.
"Yes, he's an angel," he assured her, he didn't mind having to reassure her every time they met, and she looked pleased with the answer.
Lucius approached then, and Harry watched as the man's face lit up the moment he saw his grandson. Harry quickly averted his gaze, feeling oddly self-conscious, and noticed James refusing to finish the last sip of his second bottle, stubborn as ever.
"Want me to do it?" Arthur asked, holding out his hands for James, and Draco handed him over.
Arthur summoned a cloth and placed it over his shoulder, gently patting and rubbing James's back until the baby burped. Harry's attention drifted to George, who was talking animatedly about his joke shop, while Bill rolled his eyes but still encouraged him whenever he mentioned a new idea. George hadn't been recovering well from what had happened to Fred.
Harry barely noticed when Ron handed James back to him, saying he needed to take a piss, he wasn't even sure when his best friend had taken the baby, but he must've stolen him from Arthur at some point.
Harry smiled down at his little boy, who looked a bit grumpy, probably tired of being passed from arm to arm. He hoped James would just fall asleep once he'd had enough, instead of crying and fighting his sleep, his little boy could be quite stubborn when he wanted to be, and he was only three months old.
He spotted Lucius and Narcissa in a corner, talking with Theo and Draco, and took a deep breath before looking back at his beloved baby, his whole world resting in his arms. He smiled softly.
"Shall we let your grandpa hold you, little boy?" he asked, the green eyes fixing on him. "I'm not sure how long I'll last before I take you back, but shall we try?" he said, as if the baby could answer.
He walked over to the group of Slytherins, gently rubbing James's back through the warm red outfit he was wearing. Draco was the first to notice him and immediately smiled wide, a smile Harry couldn't quite return. He looked straight at Lucius, took two steadying breaths, made sure his wand was still in his pocket, and then held out James.
The quickness with which Lucius took the baby almost made Harry reach for his wand, but he calmed down when the older man closed his eyes, holding James close, as if savoring the small weight in his arms.
Draco pulled Harry into a hug, and Harry let himself ease his nerves by gripping Draco's arms tightly, closing his eyes and leaning into his chest, breathing in the scent of his cologne, trying to relax.
"Thank you," he heard Draco whisper, and when he pulled back to meet those blue-gray eyes, they looked so vulnerable that he kissed him.