The term was finally over Harry said his farewells to many a tearful seventh year. They promised to send him owls to tell him how they were doing and he promised to reply to every one of them. Yet strangely, he didn't feel as if an era were closing. With fresh faces expected next year, the hope of adult witches and wizards like Treeloft, Fenwick, Rosencrantz, and Hudson, and with their two babies, it seemed like only the beginning of a new day in the Wizarding world.

Harry, Draco, and the twins had retired to Malfoy Manor for the summer. But the two fathers-even after imbibing many potions to keep them alert-were starting to falter.

Another long night of walking the floor, another night of changing nappy after nappy. Finally, the babies were down and Draco sank into his chair. "Harry." He looked sorrowfully at his husband. "We can't go on like this. I'm so tired I can't finish any potion I start. I'm afraid I might blow up the house. What are we going to do?"

"I don't know. We certainly can't go back to Hogwarts like this. We can't teach."

"We're going to have to get help."

"Dobby helps."

"But he can't do it all the time either. And I refuse to have a house elf raise my children!"

"A nanny?"

"A human one, if you don't mind."

"A witch?"

"Have to be, wouldn't it. Shall we dust off the old postal box in the Prophet and see what turns up."

"Why not? Turned out all right last time." Harry picked at a piece of lint on his robe. "Um...Draco. I was thinking..."

"No."

"You don't even know what I was going to say."

"I don't have to be a legilimens to figure out you were going to say, 'why don't we ask Pansy?'"

"Well, she is their mother."

"She signed her rights away without a blink of a lash. And she's never owled or Firecalled about them. Shouldn't that say something to you?"

Harry sighed. "I guess so."

"So. I'll contact the Prophet and we'll get ourselves a nanny...and maybe get five minutes of sleep before they start up again." He dragged Harry to his feet. He gave him a kiss and slumped into his arms. "I never thought I'd say this, but I'm even too tired to shag these days."

"I know. Me too. We really need a nanny!"

* * *

Once again, the owls arrived and Draco went through the posts to see who might be a likely candidate. He set the most promising aside and made arrangements to meet them at Fortescue's in Diagon Alley the next afternoon.

It was one day before Harry's birthday, and Draco used the interviews for an excuse to shop for him. But what to get for the wizard who has everything?

He window-shopped at the Quidditch supply, but nothing looked good or practical. He thought of baby things but that really wasn't for Harry. Flourish and Blotts? No, Harry had enough books. This was ridiculous! He loved the man more than life itself and he couldn't think of a damned thing to get him.

He looked at his pocket watch and was surprised at how late it was. He decided to leave the shopping for later and get these interviews over with. He hurried through the crowds, but before he could turn the corner, a wizarding couple stopped him. "We're parents of one of your students, Professor Malfoy," they began.

Oh damn. Here it comes again. 'Why a former Death Eater is allowed to teach our children I will never know' or some such rubbish. Well, let's get it over with, I haven't all day.

"Professor Malfoy," said the woman. Draco braced himself. "I just wanted to say, that I think it a fine thing that you are teaching at Hogwarts. You've set a fine example of how bad can be turned to good. Our little Frestus has simply loved potions and he can't stop saying enough good things about you. I must say, I had my doubts at first. Didn't I, Wendell? I said I don't think it's a good idea that Draco Malfoy be allowed to teach at Hogwarts, but I've certainly changed my mind." She patted his hand. "We just thought you should know."

Draco stared. The little woman took her husband's arm. They both waved and then set off up Diagon Alley. Draco hadn't moved. He stared after them for a long time before he swallowed and said a hasty, "Thank you!" to the empty space they left behind.

Of all the things Draco expected this was certainly not one of them. Maybe things were finally beginning to turnaround for him. He and Harry were as strong a couple as could be, Harry's scar was gone again, they had two beautiful boys, and life was finally becoming something worth living.

His step was a little more peppy when he reached Fortescue's. He glanced at people sitting at the little tables devouring ice cream treats. He scanned particularly for women sitting alone. That would probably be his prospective interview. Women alone, women alone. Ah. There was one. But wait. He only saw the back of her head but it looked mighty familiar. Mighty familiar. Nope. There was no mistaking it. "Fuck."

He stalked up to the table and sunk down to the chair. "Pansy."

"For the love of-" She bit down on her words and jumped to her feet. "This is absurd! I'm getting awfully tired of running into you!"

"Are you here for the advert?"

"Of course, I am! You very well know that! So Obliviate me and get it over with!"

"Pansy... Sit down, you silly bint."

"Ponce!" But she sat.

"What is it this time? Didn't we pay you enough?"

"Yes. It's fine."

"So? What is it? You still need money?"

"No. I'm doing quite well, in fact."

Draco leaned his arms on the table. "Then why?"

Pansy looked at Draco a long time. He could see she got her figure back, though she was still that pug-faced girl he had always known. Except. There was actually something different about her. He couldn't quite place it. Maybe it was something in her bearing. Or her cheeks. They seemed rosier. Maybe she actually was a little prettier than she used to be. A charm perhaps?

Sighing, she clutched her fingers and frowned. "I don't know. I'm restless. I feel...maybe a little lost."

Draco watched her curiously. She smoothed down her robes and brushed at a flyaway strand of hair at her eyes.

"Pansy...do you...miss them?"

It started as just a twitching at her eye. But soon, her mouth was trembling, her brows narrowed, and her shoulders shook in a sudden sob. "I don't know what's the matter with me!"

Draco rolled his eyes and scooted his chair next to hers. "You gave birth to them, you stupid hippogriff. Don't you think you'd have feelings for them?"

"No! I never wanted to be Mummy."

"And...now you do?"

"I don't know!"

Draco never anticipated this. Somehow, this had to be all Harry's fault. He was certain of it.

"Pansy. Do you really want to be their nanny? Nanny Pansy? Is that what you want? To live at Hogwarts most of the year, to stay at Malfoy Manor, to be their nanny until they are old enough to go to Hogwarts themselves? And then leave them?"

She burst out a racking sob and draped her damp face over his chest. "YES!"

People were starting to stare and Draco thought fleetingly of a Disillusionment charm. He patted her back and made reassuring noises instead.

Harry was going to kill him.

* * *

"You did WHAT!" Harry realized he could be quite shrill when he had to be.

"Look, you weren't there. She was a mess. She was crying all over me. I had to promise her something. But I said if you said 'no' then that was it."

"Draco! I...I...."

"Look. Don't say it. I'll just Firecall her and tell her the deal is off."

"Draco...I've never been more proud of you in my life!"

"What?"

Harry walked over to his husband and took him in his arms. "That was probably the sweetest thing you've ever done."

Draco was taken aback...before his Slytherin senses allowed him to recover. "Well...You've told me countless times how sweet I am. And I am." He kissed Harry and put his arms around his waist. "So you think it's all right."

"All right? It's perfect."

"She says she's perfectly willing to leave service once they are enrolled at Hogwarts."

"But she doesn't have to."

"Potter..." Draco sighed. "Never mind. By the way, Happy Birthday." A package appeared in his hands with a pop and he handed it to Harry.

"Presents," Harry said under his breath. He never could get used to receiving them. There was a big party later with all his friends. It was the first party they ever had at the Manor and Draco had planned it all despite being sleep deprived. It was a sort of combination birthday and baby shower.

Harry put the package on the desk and tore through the wrappings. He took it out of the box. It was a picture album. "What's this?"

"Well." Draco put his arm around Harry's shoulders. "You said you never had a picture album of you when you were small because of those sodding Dursleys and everything at Godric's Hollow got blown up. So this is for your new family. And we'll have loads of baby pictures of the boys to put in there to start with. So what do you think?"

Harry grinned. "Okay. Now I'm having a really hard time deciding just which is the sweetest thing you've ever done."

"Oh. Well let me help you decide." He took Harry into his arms, drew him in, and planted a deep kiss to his smiling lips. The kiss lasted a long time. And since the boys were asleep, Harry made sure Draco took full advantage of that opportunity to be just as sweet as he could possibly be.


The End


* The Finland witch is in honor of faithful reader and reviewer rebekka. Annikki means "bitter" in Finnish, at least that's what my sources say.


Back to Chapter Twelve
"Two Souls"

Chapter Index
A Hogwarts Lullaby Main Page

Mystwriter's Story Page