Disclaimer- I don't own Harry Potter or any other of the characters.

The Secret Keeper

The war was far from over. Voldemort was dead, but there was still a war raging inside of Harry Potter. He felt like a void of open space that nothing but darkness would ever exist in. There were still plenty of people who wanted him dead. The Death Eaters didn't very much enjoy the idea of their precious leader being blown to smithereens. Some of them begged for pardons, claiming they were afraid of disobeying Voldemort's commands. Of those caught, Harry only cleared two, Draco Malfoy and his mother Narcissa.

Draco didn't say much after he was taken into custody, he didn't even ask for Harry's help. The young Malfoy was just as surprised as everyone else when Harry appeared in front of Wizengamot for the first time in weeks, demanding that he be released along with his mother.

Harry never felt the need to give a reason why. He didn't talk much anymore anyway.

It was the first time Harry had left Grimmauld Place for more than a few minutes in quite a while. He was sitting in a corner at The Leaky Cauldron, trying to ignore the glances and whispers. The attention became too much, and he suddenly began to regret coming out to Diagon Alley for a drink to meet Ginny, Ron and Hermione. He decided he'd leave early and owl them later, telling them something had come up. Harry made to stand, but before he could move he was approached by a very familiar, extremely unwelcome blond former Slytherin.

"Potter…" he almost whispered.

"Malfoy," Harry said back, looking up through the frames of his glasses, half disinterested. "Look, I'm meeting with Ginny, Ron and Hermione you should probably leave before they get here."

"My father's execution, was yesterday…" Draco interrupted quietly sitting down across from his former school rival.

Harry's heart stopped in his chest as he remembered the images in the Daily Prophet from this morning.

"Oh…umm…yes I know," Harry struggled to find words, he sighed dejectedly, "I'm very sorry…"

"No you're not," Draco said blankly.

Harry's eyes widened slightly but he didn't say a word. He had no idea how to respond.

There was an awkward silence, and the tension in the air could be cut with a butter knife.

Harry shifted his feet and stared at the bottle of Fire Whisky in his hands.

"So you're meeting with the Weaslette too? So have you gotten back together then?" Draco asked bitterly.

"Don't call her that," Harry tapped his fingers against his drink. "Yes I've been distant for quiet a while, but I plan on asking her to marry me."

"Ah…" Draco's eyes shifted to the right then down to his hands on the table, "So you told her about what happened, and she forgave you then?" He smirked when Harry's eyes betrayed his fixed expression, "You have told her about us?"

"There was no us Malfoy," Harry sighed. "And I plan on telling her soon. She'll know it was just a mistake."

Draco took a deep breath, "A mistake…" he nodded his head disappointedly, then looked down at the tattoo on his inner left wrist, now he was able to wear his Dark Mark in plain sight, "You know, even after Voldemort is gone, this mark stays implanted upon my skin, and it burns me just by its presence. It's nearly impossible to make it better. You always made it better Harry." He pushed aside the hair that covered Harry's lightening bolt scar, "And I know I always made it better too."

"Draco…" Harry whispered his first name as the blond stood up and turned to walk out knocking into Hermione in the process.

"Granger," he said curtly.

"Malfoy," she replied in a similar tone.

He nodded his head toward Ron and Ginny and walked out as quickly as possible.

"What was that all about?" Ginny asked looking disgustedly at the door Draco had just walked out of.

"He came to talk about his father," Harry answered scooting over so Hermione could sit beside him.

Ginny sat a across from him and Ron slid in beside his sister.

"Oh yeah! Lucius Malfoy got the Dementor's kiss yesterday! Did you see the Prophet?" Ron grinned like he had just won the Quidditch World Cup, then shuddered, "Bloody gruesome stuff! I wish I'd of been there. Only thing disappointing about it, is that he didn't take his git of a son with him…"

It was going to be a long night.

Harry had never meant to cheat on Ginny. He knew how things were supposed to be. He had it all listed in his head.

1. Defeat Voldemort.

2. Become an Auror.

3. Marry Ginny and become a member of the Weasely family.

4. Have lots of grand-babies for Molly to spoil.

But then Draco happened.

It was during his sixth year, and he didn't expect it one bit, it was so forbidden and he didn't even think he was gay, but Draco seemed to be everything he'd ever wanted. Draco's love was the final reason Harry even had the strength to fight Voldemort in the end. But Harry loved Ginny too, it was a different type of love, and not nearly as deep, but it was stable and safe, and Draco was so unpredictable. Harry just wanted to settle down and be normal for once.

And that was exactly what he was doing, settling. When love was the real deal it caused far too much drama.

Harry would never admit that to anyone. His list of how things were supposed to be would be implemented without any complications so long as Draco understood.

However, he couldn't help but think, that if he was so happy with the way things were, why he was sitting here in his house tonight wasting himself away in a drunken stupor miserable and alone.