Next Gen Fic written for a fest on LJ. This will probably span 5 or 6 chapters. With daily updates, as always.

Epilogue Compliant for the most part, I suppose. Some flangst, but mostly good old fluff and humour.

This is primarily a parenting fic so the kids are a big focus, as is Harry and Draco as parents. I hope you enjoy it!

Draco smirked and suppressed an eye roll as Harry shuffled about on the platform, fiddling anxiously with his shirt collar. He tugged and pulled and when it admitted defeat and fell flat, he swore and started the whole process again. Honestly, it was endearing, but the other parents at King's Cross were starting to stare a bit. Draco sighed and stepped in, wrapping firm fingers around Harry's wrist to rescue the hapless fabric.

"They are children," he declared firmly. "Our children. They were ecstatic when we got married and I doubt that's changed at all. Everything is going to be fine. You have no reason to be this nervous."

"I'm not nervous," Harry mumbled unconvincingly. Draco's grip tightened as his hand twitched involuntarily, angling for that benighted collar. Harry huffed and yielded reluctantly, scuffing his shoes against the platform. Draco gave up. A year of being married to his ex-rival, and possibly the most stubborn man on the planet, had taught him to pick his battles. It was just easier to let Harry wage his fretful inner wars, then step in as the voice of reason.

Besides, it made him look like the smart, capable one in their relationship, and Draco was absolutely fine with that.

"Why would I be nervous?" Harry muttered as if on cue. "It's not like we're having all our children under one roof for the very first time. Or that they're all teenagers, in case you missed that little detail. It's not like it's a huge adjustment for them and the whole thing's going to go to Hades. Oh no, why on earth would I be nervous? Nothing to be nervous about. I'll just stand here and wait for our lives to turn upside down and inside out. You know, not nervously."

"And here I was all worried that you were nervous," Draco replied dryly.

Harry gave him a light shove, apparently changing his mind at the last minute, and wrapping an arm around his husband to pull him closer. "I'm glad you're here though," he whispered. His lips brushed Draco's ear, making him shiver involuntarily. Three months with four teenagers in the house. Draco tried not to groan.

"I'm glad you're here too, you sot," he murmured. "And try to relax. I meant what I said. Our kids are happy and they're thrilled to be spending summer vacation with us. It's going to be fine."

"It's easy for you to say," Harry replied with a sigh. "Mine adore you. They think you're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Draco smiled at that. He was rather fond of the Potter kids himself. Albus—being Scorpius' best friend—had featured in his first encounter with the Potter brood. It was thanks to their combined refusal to spend the summer apart that Draco had ended up spending so much time with Harry in the first place. Draco had found himself pleasantly surprised by the boy's reserved manner and subtle sense of humour. Besides, he was almost ridiculously protective of Scorpius, which pretty much guaranteed a stamp of approval in Draco's book. The fact that he was a Slytherin had only helped his case.

As for the rest:

James—in true form—had barrelled his way into Draco's life, firmly declaring that he was 'cooler than all of his Dad's previous boyfriends put together'. The fact that Draco and Harry hadn't even considered dating up to that point didn't seem to bother him in the least. Draco grinned. Hestill chuckled out loud when he recalled the look on Harry's face. All said and done, James was a handful, but he was one of Draco's favourite Gryffindors and there wasn't a thing he would change about the boy.

There wasn't much to be said about Lily. A pretty, wispy little thing who he had felt instantly protective of—Draco was fairly certain that anyone who met her felt the same way—and then he got to know her. Lily Luna Potter may look like a frail little pixie, but she could hold her own with two older brothers. A clever and particularly resourceful Ravenclaw, Draco found himself both amused and impressed by her tenacity and creativity when said brothers got on her nerves. She was still the sweetest little girl to him though, and he would do anything for her.

"I adore them too, you know," he said to Harry. "They're great kids."

"Yours too," Harry smiled. "I just wish he felt the same way about me."

Draco sighed. "He does," he repeated for about the tenth time. "It's just harder for him."

It was, at that. Ginevra Weasley was a lot of things, but a bad mother wasn't one of them. Harry had his regrets as far as she was concerned, but their divorce had been a mutual decision. Despite her busy schedule— touring the world with the Holyhead Harpies— she had made a concerted effort to remain a part of her children's lives. She was pleasant to Draco when they met and had been nothing but supportive of Harry's decision to marry again. As much as he would like to, Draco could find no fault with her.

Astoria was a different story. Draco's lips curled slightly as he remembered their short but painful relationship. Their marriage had been a mistake from the start— a desperate attempt to salvage the family name— and he admitted that part of it was his fault. They had been incompatible in almost every possible aspect, and it was clear to Draco in the first year itself that their marriage was doomed to fail.

The nail in the coffin was when Scorpius had been conceived. Astoria had not been best pleased to learn she was pregnant, and it had taken the combined efforts of a formidable team of lawyers and a sizeable chunk out of the Malfoy vault to convince her to carry the baby to term. Draco had been more than happy to see the back of her once he had Scorpius safe in his arms. That said, his boy had grown up knowing that his mother had never wanted him, and despite all Draco's efforts, it had made him wary and withdrawn.

The Potter children were good for him, though. It hadn't escaped Draco's notice how Scorpius lit up when he was with Albus, or how much he laughed with James and Lily. The marriage had been a big step for him, but he had accepted it. Draco was sure he would open up to Harry eventually. He just needed time.

"You'll be fine," he said. "Just be patient with him. Believe me—if he didn't like you, you would know."

"I would?"

Draco smirked. "Let's just say Zacharias Smith had peacock feathers growing out of unspeakable places for a while when we were dating."

Harry groaned. "Shockingly, this isn't making me feel any better. And when did you date Zacharias Smith?"

"Oh look, they're here," Draco blurted. Sure enough, in the distance the Hogwarts Express was trudging up to the station— announcing its arrival with a deafening blast in case anyone missed it. Harry— mercifully distracted— tightened his grip on Draco's hand.

"Well, here goes nothing," he muttered.

Draco's reply was drowned out by another blast from the Express. Instead he squeezed his husband's hand back, silently promising that they would still be standing when this was over.

From the corner of his eye, he caught Harry's reluctant but unmistakable smile.

As always, reviews are highly appreciated. Thank you for reading!