Harry's POV

Thestrals always seem so calm. Their skeletal frames and leathery skin may suggest otherwise, but they are extremely majestic beings.
As I run my hand down the neck of a thestral, Teddy calls out from his place beneath a nearby tree.
"Hawwy!"
"Yes, Teddy?"
"What doin'?"
I smile, turning my head to look at him. "Oh, I'm just thinking. Thinking, and stroking a thestral."
The blue-haired child looks confused, "Not dere."
"There is something there, Ted, you just can't see it." I look back at the thestral and memories of Cedric, Sirius, Dumbledore and the war come flooding in all at once. It's overwhelming and I fail to hold back tears. Today's been emotional, I don't have the energy to hold anything back.
"For your sake, Teddy, I hope you'll never see it."

(AN: k so sorry to interrupt but I have no idea how to type how Hagrid speaks so...)

"Harry! I thought I heard your voice." Hagrid approaches me, a large sack in his hand, "I was just coming up here to feed the thestrals. Are you alright?" He must've noticed my tears.
"I'll be fine, I'm just here to think about things. I've just been told that Andromeda's died and I'm now joint legal guardian of a baby half-metamorphmagus-half-werewolf."
Hagrid drops the sack and pulls me into a bone-crushing hug. "Oh, I'm sorry Harry. You've had to put up with so much recently, I'm surprised you came back for your final year. In fact, I'm surprised most people did."
I pull away from the hug just as I hear footsteps behind me.

Hagrid opens his mouth to say something as Malfoy picks up Teddy, but I give him a look that makes him stop.
"That could've gone a lot worse." He says as he walks up to us, "I was expecting to be disowned or beaten or whatever else. Although, in some ways this is worse."
"What old tripe are you going on about now, Malfoy?" Hagrid growls.
"That, Hagrid, is none of your business. Do Azkaban accept letters to the inmates? I thought you'd know, considering what happened during second year." Malfoy practically spits the words, clearly displeased by Hagrid's presence.
Instead of reacting, Hagrid speaks to me. "Well, Harry, I'd best be off now. I'll just dump the food here and the thestrals can help themselves. I'll see you later."
I call my goodbyes after him as he walks off.

When I turn back to Malfoy, I notice that he has put Teddy down back beneath the tree, he also now has one earphone in and the other is dangling against his chest. My eyes linger there for a second too long.
"Checking me out again, Potter? Soon enough, you'll be begging me to marry you. Well, I can't blame you. I am irresistible."
"Please!" I scoff, "You wish I was attracted to you."
Malfoy smirks. "Aren't you?"
"No."
"My memories of last night beg to differ."
"Fuck you."
His smirk grows into a grin. "Potter, you know it's me that would be fucking you."
My mouth falls open in shock, "We're not even together!"
"Aren't we? Hmm, pity. You are a very good kisser, I wouldn't mind kissing you again, and," Malfoy looks me up and down before his eyes land on my crotch, "judging by the bump in your trousers, I'd say you wouldn't mind either."
My face grows hot and as Malfoy steps closer I don't dare to move.

One slender hand rests on my shoulder whilst the other goes to my hip. My own hands go to his waist naturally. Malfoy's breath tickles my cheek as he whispers in my ear, "The Halloween Ball is in two days. Care to be my date?"
He kisses my jaw gently before stepping away with a flirty expression on his face.
I nod, incapable of speech from the shock and confusion of what just happened.
"Good." Malfoy's expression stays the same.
He picks up Teddy and walks away, back to the castle, leaving me alone to contemplate what I've just got myself into.

*

Hermione and Luna sit together on one of the long sofas in the common room. I flop down next to them and kick off my shoes, bringing my feet up and sitting so that my back is against Hermione's arm.
"Where did you go?" She asks.
"McGonagal's office. Narcissa told us that Andromeda died and me and Malfoy are now joint legal guardians of Teddy."
"That's awful! I'm sorry, Harry." Hermione hugs me tightly.
Luna speaks up, "Just remember that she's out of pain now. She's no longer ill and you won't have to worry about her. Of course this isn't an entirely good thing, but Andromeda is now with her husband and her daughter."
I notice that my face is wet and that Hermione's eyes are sad.
"Thanks guys." I wipe away the tears and return to my sitting position. "On a less sad note, I have a date to the Halloween Ball. Is Ron coming to that?"
"I think so." Hermione replies. "He told me he would try to get time off. It's less about the Ball itself and more about spending time with us."
"Us?" Luna asks, one eyebrow raised."Or just you?"
Hermione smiles and tries to hide her blush, "Fine, maybe just me. Who's your date, Harry?"
I grin, "Who do you think?"
"Oh, I don't know." Hermione says, "Maybe he just so happens to be a tall, slim, blonde male, that you just so happen to share a room with, he just so happens to like you, and you just so happen to like him back?"
"He also just so happens to like the same music as you, have the same friends as you, and looks after the same infant as you?" Luna chips in.
"You both just so happen to be correct."