New Daddy

“Potter! Get out here now.”

Frustrated and unable to continue ignoring the voices calling for him; Harry laid down his quill and sighed. Be the head auror, they said. Get a raise, they said. Make changes in the department, they said. What they didn’t say was what being the head auror was like. The added paperwork; in the form of reports, budget requests and schedules that came with the raise. They also didn’t mention that changes couldn’t be implemented until they were thoroughly documented, more paperwork; and passed up the chain to the Wizengamot.

“Potter!”

“Keep your robes on. I’m coming,” he groused. Reluctantly he exited what he referred to as his closet. You’ll get your own office, they said. Humph. “What’s the problem now?”

Noticing the disgruntled look on his face, Ron grinned at him; having been one of the “they”. “Luna flooed a few minutes ago.”

“Handle it.”

“Nope. I got the Norwegian Whipper-floops.” Ron reminded him pointing to the upside down toadstool shaped house on the corner of his desk.

“Dean…”

“Gingerspritz mini-sprackflitters.”

She had arrived with the Gingerspritz mini-sprackflitters in a cardboard box that Yule. That had been one of the better “gifts” she had brought them to “help” their department. She’d convinced them, the aurors would never know they were there. Harry admitted she was right about that. The gingerbread houses she had built and placed around for them to live in had been delicious, too. He glanced guiltily around at the crumpled foundations that were all that remained of the Gingerspritz mini-sprackflitters homes. “Seamus…”

“Mini-trumpering tangnills.”

“Draco.” Harry acknowledged his desperation in asking Malfoy.

In contrast to the rest of the squad room, the blonde’s desk was neat as a pin. Parchment and scrolls stacked perfectly and the surface clean of ink stains or food crumbs. He was leaning against the edge of desk, uniform still crisp and clean although the day had been long and hectic. With a familiar smirk, Draco languidly pointed at the small aquarium on the corner of his desk. A “gift” from Luna, his first week at the office. She was sure the swumpering gillynippers would help him settle in. Like his other belongings, it was neat and perfect. Harry was certain that the gravel if tested was actually some type of semi-precious stones and the structures if not platinum at least silver. It might be a fish, pardon him, a swumpering gillynippers bowl, but it was a Malfoy swumpering gillynippers bowl.

“Face it, Harry. It’s your turn.” Ron grinned. He was sure this was going to be good. Luna had been off on a hunt in Sweden with Rolf Scamander. They had been following the trail of a furspeckled icemunkler according to Luna. He was willing to bet the only trail Rolf had been following was Luna’s.

He fought the urge to cringe as he heard his name from behind. Biting back a curse, he turned to face Luna. “Oh, Harry, the Gulping Niptackers are after the Gingerspritz mini-sprackflitters. They’ve destroyed their homes, but don’t worry I’ll make more.”

Harry was certain it was more the snacking aurors than the Gulping Niptackers but if Luna wanted to replace the homes, who was he to question. “How was your trip?”

“We couldn’t find the furspeckled icemunkler, I suspect they started the migration early this year.” Luna’s dreamy eyes became even less focused. “Rolf and I started in…” A low growl interrupted her drawing everyone’s startled attention to the rather large crate behind her. It was the first time any of Luna’s gifts had made an audible noise.

Harry felt an icy shiver work its way down his spine as she absently patted the crate. “Yes, yes, I’m explaining to your new daddy now. Just wait a minute.”

“Daddy…” Harry said weakly.

“Of course, you can’t expect him to raise himself, can you? With his mother gone, his daddy wasn’t really in a place to care for him. That’s why when Hagrid mentioned…”

“Hagrid…” Harry moaned. The shivers multiplied exponentially.

“Oh, Harry. I knew the minute I saw him; so innocent and helpless.”

Ron and the other aurors glanced at one another as their boss whimpered. Even the bravest auror felt a trickle of fear for their commander. Luna’s creatures were relatively little trouble, since they were… well, frankly imaginary, but Hagrid’s creatures? All the Hogwarts alumni cringed. They were very familiar with Hagrid’s poor, misunderstood creatures.

Draco pulled his wand and held it down by his side. Straightening up he moved nonchalantly behind the other aurors until he was in position to cover Harry. The boy-who-lived to be the man-who-killed-Voldemort had a blind spot when it came to people like Luna and Hagrid. They might have the best intentions but best to be careful.

Luna pulled her wand from her hair and used it to levitate the crate to Harry’s feet. “As I said with his mother gone…”

“His mother died?” Harry felt a bit of empathy for the creature in the crate.

“Died? No, she left. She’s the Drumstang Headmaster’s familiar and she accompanied him on his visit. She felt that since he didn’t have her warm fur, he’d be happier here with his father.”

“Fur?”

“Of course, she’s a lycavarina.”

“A lycavarina? What’s a lycavarina?”

Against his will, Draco stepped forward his interest piqued. “Come on, Potter, don’t tell me you missed the article in the Daily Prophet ahead of his visit. Amanastacia was featured in the article. Her species is telepathic and can communicate with wizards. She is one of the few flying wolves left and she has never mated.” Draco was intrigued that she had chosen an English wolf for a mate and said so.

“Oh, she didn’t mate with a wolf.”

Draco and Harry exchanged worried glances. There were a lot of dangerous creatures in the Forbidden Forest. Subtly Draco shifted his wand so Harry could catch a glimpse and know he was armed. “Luna, I don’t think that a lycavarina is suited to working with an auror.”

“You’re right.” Harry was amazed at the sensible answer but Luna continued, “He takes more after his father.” Before they could stop her, she flicked her wand banishing the lid.

Harry got a brief flash of white wings before it impacted with his chest knocking him to the ground.

Ron and the others were torn between shock and amusement as their supervisor lay sprawled in the ground being attacked, more like slobbered on, by a three-headed wolf with black hair, red eyes and white wings. Harry tried in vain to keep the three tongues away, but with only two hands it was a losing battle. “Stop… Ron…Stop licking…Help me… stop it,” as Harry pleaded the staff succumbed to laughter.

“See, Hagrid and I were right. You were meant to be together. I can’t wait to tell Fluffy.” Her errand done, Luna turned and wandered out of the department.

“Fluffy. She mated with a Cerberus? Luna…get back here,” Harry demanded weakly. As he did, a presence form in his mind that simultaneously tripled.

“Hi, new daddy. I’m hungry. Can we eat now?” The left wolf…left head said.

“I need a drink. I’m thirsty, new daddy. Can’t we have a drink first?” The right head said.

“New Daddy, I need to…” Before the remaining head could finish his sentence, Harry felt a warm trickle pool on his stomach and then begin to seep down his side. “Ooops.”

“We’re sorry, New Daddy.” All three heads drooped in shame and then began rubbing their faces around and under his chin.

Unable to stand their dejection, Harry stopped pushing the hands away. It…They were just a baby, it wasn’t really their fault. “It’s okay.” Harry felt a cleaning charm, followed by a warming charm hit him. “Thanks,” he nodded to Draco. “How about a hand-up?”

Ignoring the snickering of the remaining staff, Draco reach down and took hold of the nap of the one wolf. “Come on, let Daddy Harry up.” Harry glared at him, but Draco simply took ahold of the nap of another head. “Stop. Let Daddy Harry up now,” he said firmly, smirking at Harry.

The first head was still struggling but stopped when Draco let go of his nap and tapped him on the head. Indignantly, he turned to look at Draco. “Look,” he hissed at the other heads. “It’s our new Mommy and he has hair the color of our old Mother.”

Harry snorted as the three turned to stare at Draco, body still for a minute. He could see the emotions in Draco’s eyes as the telepathic connection was made; first was shock, then indignation, then, yes, fear as he stared at the half-Cerberus half-lycavarina as the three voices began to clamor for their new mother’s attention.

“I am not your mother.” Draco state firmly backing away. His protests were futile as the wings began to flap lifting the little ones towards him.

Harry propped his body up with his arms and joined the rest of the room in laughter. He’d often wondered what it would take to make Draco lose that Malfoy composure. If only he’d known back in school that all it took was being mommy to a half-Cerberus half-lycavarina; he’s sure he and Fluffy could have come to a deal.