"Now when we get inside I don't want you guys going all over the place, okay? Stick with me. There are a lot of people here and-"

"Chill, Dad. We'll be fine. Stop freaking out," Teddy said laughing before he recognized a few kids he knew from school and pulled Harry and James along behind him.

"Yeah dad," James giggled. "Chill out."

Harry rolled his eyes and waved at the new children as they joined them and their parents. The kids all spoke to James as if he was in their group as well before the lights began to dim and the concert was set to begin.

"Sometimes," started a voice through the dark. "We're put in these places we shouldn't. Say things we shouldn't. Do things we shouldn't. But this song goes out to anyone who feels like they should!"

A bright light split the darkness and standing in the front of a now screaming crowd was Draco Malfoy just as Harry had remembered him. Sure there was a band behind him now, but as he performed all sites were on him. As similar as it was, it wasn't magic, but his stage presence that kept them enamored. The grace and elegance of a Malfoy born and bred.

"He's so different!" said one wizarding mother beside him.

"Not at all like how he used to be!" stated another.

"I'm glad he learned his lesson," replied the first again looking at Harry this time for approval.

"Yeah," he answered noncomitally. "Different..."

DL Black strut across the stage in the way he was always meant to do and in that moment Harry was certain Draco didn't need him to come in and muck up his royally famous life. After a while Harry found himself singing along to songs he had heard millions of times thanks to his boys and the rest of the pop-culture-muggle-spewing world.

He looked down to find James with the hugest grin on his face, singing along with Teddy and his friends. A tear slid down his cheek as he watched his son, because for once he would get to spend his birthday with both of his father's and it was more than he could handle. He took a few deep breaths to steady himself. In what seemed like an eternity later the lights flashed back with an almost astounding blindness.

Through a chant of "DL! DL! DL!" Harry felt a hand tugging at his clothes. He looked down to see Teddy looking longingly at the merchandise that was quickly being sold out.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he said sarcastically. "I'm only here to spend the galleons, huh?"

"No," said James with a shocked expression.

"You're also here to get us backstage," supplied Teddy with a teasing glimmer in his eye that Harry was sure the boy's mom would have been proud of.

"Oh yes," said Harry with an eye roll. "How could I have thought anything else?"

Teddy shrugged at him but dragged he and James along all the same.

"I'm still trying to figure that out," said the boy whose hair was rapidly flying through a rainbow of colors, matching his excitement.

When they arrived at the curtain to go backstage they were stopped abruptly.

"Sorry, man," said a tall buff man with long shaggy hair who Harry assumed was a bodyguard. "DL isn't letting kids back tonight. They can meet the band on stage, but he's pretty tired."

Harry nodded numbly and wondered if Draco somehow knew. If he had seen Harry out there and just knew why he was here. He looked down at his boys who were a bit down at not meeting their idol, but still excited to get to bang on the drums and strum the guitars with DL Black's actual band. When they headed on stage Teddy's friends joined them and the mothers stood watch while Harry went to speak to the leading blonde.

"Do you guys want me to get anything signed?" Teddy shook his head then remembered he had brought a shirt for an occupied James and stuffed it down his own shirt as a present for his little brother. He ran to Harry and stuffed the fabric into the grown man's hands.

"It's for Jamesie." Then off he ran again to mess with any instrument he was allowed.

Harry arrived back in front of the shaggy hair guard childless and with a small smirk the man lifted half the curtain and allowed him through. When he entered the little room he chuckled to himself, because of course Malfoy couldn't wait to get a massage.

"Is this why kids aren't allowed back here tonight?" Harry asked casually.

"Well this and I'm naked under this towel." The blonde didn't even look up. Harry repressed the earge to both laugh and cry.

"I do suppose it's best not to traumatize them early. Though I heard it builds character."

The blonde snorted a laugh into the massage table before lifting a hand and waving the masseur off.

"That'll be all, Laya. Thank you."

You could tell the exact moment he saw Harry. Really saw him. His eyes lit up, but his face went from confident to awkward to shy in a matter of moments before going back to its safety net from so long ago.

"Potter."

"You were really good out there tonight, Dray. How is everything?"

"Uh-er... things are fine, Potter. How are you?" he asked tightly as if he wanted to be anywhere else at that moment.

"Suprisingly well, actually. Although I am a little curious though..."

"About what?" The blonde was standing across from his past lover in nothing but a towel with his arms crossed.

"A little birdie told me you weren't wearing anything under that towel." The ravenette raked his eyes up Draco's pale body. The man was still lean, he assumed that was just in his genetic makeup, but he had filled out a bit more. He was still taller than Harry, even though they had both grown a bit more since the last time either of them had spoke.

Green eyes met grey and Harry noticed the blonde was blushing. He sent him a crooked grin but shook his head.

"I'm actually here so you can sign this," as he spoke he held up the small t-shirt. "Teddy insisted."

"My little cousin, Teddy?"

Harry nodded as he held the shirt out trying as hard as possible to not look tense.

Draco took the shirt and it was clear this had made him more comfortable. This was something he had grown accustomed to.

"Any requests?" he asked without looking up and uncapping his marker.

"'To James, I wish you luck in your future endeavors' or something equally sappy, would be fine."

Draco signed the garment seemingly on autopilot and handed it back to him.

Harry smiled, thanked him and turned to leave, but Draco stopped him. He spoke practically in a whisper.

"Do you still stay in our flat?"

"Er no...actually I moved into a house. It's across town from there. Same muggle area, but closer to a wizarding area too."

"I'm going to be in town for a few days while the tour is on a break. Would you mind if- I mean, would it be okay- Could I maybe stop by?" Draco was blushing and staring at his feet as if they were teenagers again. just figuring everything out. Harry looked at him and it was as if they had been transported back to Hogwarts and they were just two boys from two different worlds who knew it wouldn't work out but were stubborn enough to try anyway.

Harry gave him a goofy grin.

"Yeah, that'd be great," he wrangled a receipt from his pocket and wrote his address on the back before handing it back. "Guess I'll see you around, Malfoy."

"Obviously," drawled the blonde.

Then Harry turned abruptly and walked back through the curtain to find both of his boys waiting for him. One with wide eyes and the other with lidded eyes, so close to sleep.

"Is my birthday boy tired?" He asked picking the boy up on his back. "Guess that means no cake for you then."

It was an almost immediate result. James reached up and stuck both hands in Harry's hair and started giggling.

"I'm always up for cake, silly!" he said drumming on his dad's head causing Teddy to laugh too.

"How could I forget?" laughed Harry as he led them out of the concert stadium and towards the apparation point.

They were headed on home with a familiar tug and a blur of color. They landed firmly in front of their house. They walked up slowly, laughing and joking the entire way. When they opened the doors the lights were out and a moment later-

"SURPRISE!"

Harry smiled as Teddy ran off to greet everyone. He set down a still surprised James who was sporting his paler father's blush right up to the peaks of his ears.

"This is for me?" he asked no one in particular. When Ron came up and ruffled his hair with a 'well duh, little buddy.' He beamed. "Excellent."

As all the kids seemed to find each other Hermione wobbled over to Harry.

"You look due to pop," he said with a small smile.

"Did you speak to him?" She said, right down to business as usual.

"Yes, mother."

"About James?"

"Not quite. He did sign this shirt for Jamesie from Teddy, though. That's enough for this year, don't you think?"

"No. So if you didn't talk about James what did you talk about?" she narrowed her eyes at him.

"He's going to be in town for a few days..."

"Oh, Harry," Hermione said gripping his shoulder. "Tell me you didn't-"

There was a knock at the door and James ran to get it.

"You did!" she said.

"I did," he confirmed.

Then James opened the door.

-&-

tuesdays and thursdays. yep
love you

-- angel janeé xoxo 💋