Chapter Text
Finn’s birthday party was a huge success. Draco had been invited for the magical one, but after seeing how much Harry had to do for the Muggle one in the park, he asked Finn whether he could be part of the Muggle one as well and just help his dad out. Finn was overexcited and Lily seemed to enjoy his presence as well.
There were so many children wanting to play and be fed that Draco didn’t get a break until they were finishing the party. And even then, it meant dragging two children (and a giant pile of presents) home. By the number of presents Finn received, he was incredibly well-liked.
At five in the evening, the children both darted off, giving Harry and Draco about three minutes to take a breath. Too little, in Draco’s opinion. Not that he didn’t like the children, but this was an ordeal, really.
“So, there’s this tradition I’ve started with Lily’s birthday, that we make our own birthday cake” Harry said, dropping onto the couch. He looked exhausted, but happy for the party.
Draco chuckled, sitting down beside him. He beamed, when Harry put his arm around him and pulled him closer. “Okay. And I was invited for that?”
“For the cake cutting and the dinner, yes” Harry said softly.
“I mean, I could leave and come back when the cake is finished” Draco suggested, a hint of amusement in his voice. Harry laughed, the sound filling the room with warmth.
Draco relished in these quiet moments. The gentle hum of the children talking and playing in the hallway, Harry's easy laughter, the intoxicating aroma of freshly baked goods lingering in the apartment – it all combined to create a sense of peace and contentment. This place, this family, was beginning to feel like home.
Before the two of them could relax more, the children were standing in front of them again. Finn looking incredibly proud and happy, Lily beaming at the two of them.
“Are you going to stay, Uncle Draco?” she asked, puppy eyes in full force.
Draco widened his eyes and turned to look at Harry who was watching with amusement. It didn’t help really that in order to look at Harry, he had to lay his head down on said man’s shoulders.
The way, Harry was looking down at him, made him feel so many emotions at once, he couldn’t name them all, besides a deep love and a wish to belong here, right here.
“We’ll see” Harry said and winked at Draco before they all moved to the kitchen. Finn had already said what kind of cake he wanted to create for his birthday. And the typical five year old child’s wish was a chocolate cake with strawberries.
“In the winter?” Draco asked with wide eyes.
Harry raised his eyebrows, looking amused. “Are we wizards or aren’t we wizards, Draco? I’ve got a balcony garden for this exact predicament.”
Draco sniggered as they walked outside while Lily helped Finn measure the ingredients – sneaking in too much chocolate for the recipe, which was something Harry seemed to notice as well, since he grinned and turned to the garden.
“You knew he was going to pick this?”
“Strawberries are his favourite snacks and he loves chocolate almost as much as I do.”
“And Lily? What would her wish be?”
“Lemon cake” Harry grimaced, as Draco laughed. “But I have a feeling she just liked to see my reaction. She always wants the smallest cake possible and doesn’t really eat it.”
The scene before Draco was a whirlwind of domestic chaos. Harry, his hair dusted with flour, his shirt slightly ajar, was kneading dough with a focused intensity. The once-pristine kitchen table was a battlefield of flour, sugar, and overturned bowls. The children were helping in their own ways, Lily cutting the strawberries, Finn sneaking some strawberry pieces while Draco was mixing the decorative chocolate.
While there was so much chaos in this apartment, there was an undeniable sexiness to the scene. The way Harry moved with a confident grace, the playful glint in his eyes when he saw the children pretending not to eat, the gentle curve of his lips. It was a stark contrast to the image of the stoic, battle-scarred hero Draco had seen him portray in the open.
And far too soon, with a final flourish, Harry placed the finished cake on the cooling rack. It was a masterpiece - a towering chocolate cake, its dark, glossy surface adorned with swirls of rich chocolate frosting. Fresh strawberries, glistening with a dusting of powdered sugar, were arranged in a perfect circle around the base. Inside the cake was a nice strawberry mixture. The scent of warm chocolate and sweet berries filled the air.
Finn jumped up and down with excitement and Draco felt his mouth water by just looking at it. Lily looked at it with awe and then turned to her father. “When can we eat it?”
“Twenty minutes should do it” Harry said with a grin. “Do you think we can keep Finn from eating it now?”
The two looked at the other part of the family and Lily then turned to Harry looking serious. “No.”
Harry laughed and knelt in front of an excited looking boy. “Twenty minutes, darling. Then, we’ll eat.”
Finn huffed, but nodded and grabbed his sister to go and play.
“Adorable” Draco said with a grin. “Simply adorable.”