Custody (REDRAFTED- NEW ONE IS POSTED)

Chapter Thirty-Two

“Everyone in this house seems to do more storming off than actual arguing.” Draco grumbled, picking up the clothes that he had tossed to the floor hastily last night. It had been half an hour and no one had come looking for him yet.

He wasn’t sure if that pissed him off more or calmed him down.

Teddy giggled and babbled from where Draco had put him on the bed. After making sure that the sheets were repaired and clean, he had snuck into Teddy’s room and brought the toddle with him while he tidied up the bedroom.

“I wish I could be like you instead. Watching everyone else take care of you.” He frowned and sat down on the bed next to Teddy. “I should be more careful with saying that. The way things have been working out lately, I could end up getting age reversed. Or getting wings.”

Teddy just made grabby hands at Draco’s ears.

Sighing, he lowered his head and let Teddy play and pet his ears.

“Having fun kid?”

Teddy’s hair was a bright, happy blue.

Once Draco’s neck started to hurt, he picked up his head, kissing his cousin’s forehead. “I won’t let him get to you. Okay? He’s not going to get ahold of you as long as I am here.”

It didn’t take long for Draco to get tired again. “That stupid potion. Hey, when I see Wardell next, do you think that I should scratch him?”

Teddy gave him a confused look, making Draco smile. The toddler yawned and knotted his tiny fists into Draco’s shirt, burying his face in the neko’s shoulder. Draco gently laid them both down, curling around Teddy, his tail flicking periodically. His stomach was growling. After all, it had been nearly two days since the last time he had eaten. But the only way he would be able to eat was if Harry fed him.

Being a neko was incredibly annoying.

“Dwaco.” Teddy slurred, cuddling as close as possible. His entire body was only a small bit bigger than Draco’s torso. He was a really tiny child.

Both boys fell asleep with smiles on their faces.

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The first few minutes after Draco had stormed out had been awkward as the three searched for something to say. Harry had been about to go after him but Hermione told him to give him some space and that it was probably a good idea to let him cool down before talking to him.

It was after five minutes of occasional awkward mutterings before Hermione spoke up. “I think that we should let Draco get Blaise and Pansy to help us.”

“What?! ‘Mione come on. I get that we can trust Malfoy. But I don’t know about his friends.”

“He said that they didn’t have a choice in the matter on whether they would be a death eater or not.”

“It’s not them being death eaters that’s the problem. It’s that it’s them. How many times have they tortmented us over the years?”

“How many times has Malfoy tormented us over the years and now we trust him.”

Harry opened the neko book, wanting to escape from the bickering couple.

“Ron, we are going to need all the people we can get. We don’t know how many death eaters we will be up against. And with the baby… of course I am going to fight. But it is going to be risky and we need people to help out. Besides. If Wardell is going after people Malfoy is close to, he’s going after them next.”

It was another five minutes of this arguing until Harry finally cut in. “Ron, she’s right. We have to get more help. Blaise and Pansy were also associated with death eaters. They might know even more about Wardell than Draco does. They could know something crucial that Draco doesn’t know or remember.”

Ron gave him a disbelieving look. Shaking his head, Harry left the room. He had to take a shower anyways. It always helped him think. And with all the problems going on, that was definitely something needed.