Harry dropped his phone onto the concrete and Draco watched as the screen shattered before snatching his gaze to the darker man in front of him who had dropped to his knees to tell both of the boys to stay put and running off in the opposite direction. When the blonde went to follow his son grabbed his shirt and stopped him. When he looked down James' hazel eyes were full of tears and his bottom lip was trembling to keep him from crying out.

"What's wrong, JL? What's happened?" Draco said staying down past those glasses into his son's saddened, tearful eyes.

The boy shook his head, not knowing what to say as the tears finally fell. Behind him Teddy sniffled, but crossed his arms and looked away from Draco as if he could stop the man from seeing him cry as he spoke.

"Aunt Val is in hospital."

"What!?" he yelped looking down at the boy who was trying so hard not to cry next to him and then towards the one who was bawling against him, his freckles stark against his red tearstained cheeks.

"Yeah," Teddy responded, still forcing himself not to look at him. "She was in an accident. Pops said to stay with you."

"Okay, guys," Draco said with a nod trying to contain the situation and not work the boys up anymore. "Movie night is going to have to wait. We're going to head on in, yeah?" He looks down at them for responses, but they both seemed too agitated. He bends over and reaches for Harry's phone. When he picks it up the screen lights up on an image of Draco and the kids from when they'd went to the park. Right where Draco's hand met James' was where the cracking screen started. He ran his finger over it and bit back a curse when the glass cut him.

"I want to go see Aunt Val," James screeched through his tears. "I want her to be okay."

"Shut up, James! We can't go until Pops gets back and he won't take you if you're crying like a little baby! He's probably going to send us to Gam's house."

Draco didn't know what to say about Teddy's angry voice over his newfound attitude with his brother who he had, up til now, always been the nicest to. He grabbed both of their hands and apparated straight to the sidewalk in front of their home.

--:--

Harry was sitting with his head in his hands when a soft, weak hand gripped his shoulder. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to scream or sob or-

"Hey, there, my magic man," said a voice just as weak as the rest of her.

"Val!" He said snapping his head up to stare into her deep brown eyes. Her straight hair was tangled and curling at the roots, probably from the last time it rained. Harry ran a hand down the side of her face, softly. "I'm so glad you're okay. What happened?"

"Stop fussing," she said lovingly pushing his hand away as he fiddled with her pillow case. She looked down as she spoke, clearly spooked by her own experience. "I was- My blood sugar got low when I was driving back from the cemetery. I uh- I passed out and someone rammed into my passenger side door." She sniffled and Harry could tell she was trying not to cry.

"Oh gods, Val," he said apologetically, noting his own forgetfulness. "It's your mum's birthday. Where's Wyatt? Why wasn't he with you?"

"My dear brother," she spit sarcastically. "Is over in the colonies for the rest of the month."

"He went to America and left you to deal with this on your own?" Harry looked surprised, but he was more angry than that. "Why didn't you call me? I would have come with you to the cemetery."

"Hare," she said softly reaching a hand out to rub the crinkles out of his forehead with her thumb. "Mum has been dead for more than a year now. I don't need Wyatt to babysit me. Nor do I need you to. Now calm down, you're going to pop a vessel if you don't relax. I'm fine. I promise. A little shaken up, but nothing a little R&R can't fix, right?" Her doe eyes were looking at him with a clear plea for him to let it go and he can't help, but to agree.

"I still wish you would have called me," he looked into her eyes just as pleadingly and she looked away. "You know I'm here for you. I will continue to be here for you, as long as you need me to be."

"You have someone to be there for, a few someones actually, and none of them are me," she spoke without looking at him. He slid a hand under her chin and turned her head softly to face him, staring into nothing but those soft brown eyes.

"You are what's important right now. D'you hear me, Val? I'm here for you."

When she places a chaste kiss on his lips, he doesn't say anything, he just gives her a small smile and sits back in the recliner beside her bed as they fall into a companionable silence.

--:--

Draco backs away from the door quietly then spins to face James and Teddy with a plastered on smile. They had come to the hospital after he could get them to calm their hysteria. They asked about Val's health and the nurse behind the desk was happy to tell them she was fine. A mix of her knowing the kid's were Harry's and then recognizing DL Black, got them a free pass to Val's room. Draco only wished she would have kept them a little longer.

"Alright, tykes," he says in a conspiratorical whisper, false calm keeping his voice from wavering. "It seems we have taken too long and the kiddies are fast asleep. So, I am going to take you to your grandmother's house and Harry will come get you to visit when he gets up, yeah?"

"My gam or Teddy's gam?" asks James, hazel eyes big and inquisitive behind his glasses. Confusion was all over Draco's face even as he forced out a questionable: "Andromeda."

"So Teddy's gam, then?"

"She's your Gam too, JL," the blonde man says growing more anxious to leave by the second. What if Harry came out and saw them. What would he do? What would he say? What did you say when you came to check on the wellbeing of the ex-girlfriend of your lover and father of your child only to find her kissing said fatherly figure without so much as a warning.

"But if your my dad, wouldn't she be like..." he thought for a minute. "Like my great aunty or something?"

"She takes care of you, right?" The boy nods. "And she's been your Gam for this long, right?" He nods again. "She still loves you like a Gam. So it be rude to just tell her that she isn't your Gam anymore even though she acts just like one, don't you think?"

"I hadn't thought of it that way," James whispered loudly, covering his mouth as if he had just said a swear word.

"I'm glad you figured it all out, Jamesie. I like sharing Gam with you," said Teddy smirking at him in a way that Draco could see was something he had taken to calling a Harry-ism. It was when either of the boys did something he could clearly tell they had learned from the bespectacled git who spent so much time with them.

"Now, to the floo with you," he joked softly, though he was starting them towards the nearest floo he could find. When they made it to a clear fireplace he kissed both of their foreheads and ruffled their hair before reminding them that he loved them. They gave him strange looks before confirming that they loved him too.

He sent them each away in soft green flames before stepping into them himself and dusting himself off as he entered Harry's house and made the very conscious decision to start packing.

It took an hour (maybe 2 at the most), but anything he had bought in the short while since he had been back, he stuffed into his duffel bag and pulled out his wand to unwatchingly shrink it and send it into his pocket. He left Harry a note letting him know where the kids were. Draco was an adult now, he wasn't running away just for an excuse to have Harry looking for him, he was leaving because he knows when he isn't wanted and he can tell he has overstayed his welcome.

He wand called his mother to tell her what was going on and one she was caught up he locked the house up, replacing the wards Harry had taught him to set and putting the spare key under the welcome mat before stepping from the porch and disapparating.

He appeared in Wiltshire with a shaky breath before making the walk down to his childhood home, Mother was waiting.

-&-

yoooo futher muckers
what's up?
was this what you are expecting?
love it? hate it? lemme know?

i couldn't remember if i blatantly stated whether cissy lived in the manor or no, because i know she does in one of my fics, but not in another...but i figured it out

only 3 more chapters
how does everyone feel?

any guesses to the end of the story? if you're right you will get- a surprise! lol.

nothing big, but just motivation i guess *shrugs*

hope y'all enjoyed it
love y'all

-- angel janeé xoxo 💋