Bound to Happen

by Josephine Stone

As often as the Aurors brought Draco in and demanded proof of his whereabouts, it was only a matter of time before they found about his relationship with Harry.

Gift for: sassy_cissa
Title: Bound to Happen
Summary: As often as the Aurors brought Draco in and demanded proof of his whereabouts, it was only a matter of time before they found about his relationship with Harry.
Word Count: 3,500
Rating: PG-13
Contains: (Highlight to view) *None*
Notes: Thank you, kitty_fic, for making this flow better and read clearer.

---

It still took effort for Harry not to look up when he heard his name. Draco Malfoy was waiting in interrogation, again. As often as they brought him in, Harry should have been desensitised to it, but he wasn't. Though he knew whatever they came up with to bring him in for Draco was innocent of, Harry knew the truth mattered little to them where Draco Malfoy was concerned.

Anytime could be the time they finally got something to stick.

Harry wasn't sure they were boyfriends. It was a conversation neither of them ever brought up. They slept together, then before either of them could doze off, Draco left. If they were boyfriends, then Harry was the worst one in the world. All his exes would probably agree without knowing specifics; he'd never been very good with romantic relationships. He never went to see Draco during these visits to the Ministry. They never spoke in public at all.

'We've got him this time,' one of the young Aurors said.

Harry still didn't look up from his paperwork. They said that all the time. It had never been true before either.

'How can you be so sure?' the other Auror asked. 'He always has some way of getting out of charges.'

Draco always had rock solid alibis, because he was paranoid. Well, paranoid was the wrong word. He was careful. He had house elves watch him sleep. Any time he was awake, he made sure to be with someone, that way they could come in and show that their memories matched with his memories, and confirm he was not out committing crimes.

'Well,' the first Auror answered, 'this time he's got no alibi.'

Harry looked up at that.

Shite.

#

It took Harry an hour to get up the nerve to go down to the interrogation room and find Draco. He was still there. Harry thanked Merlin he wasn't too late. When he entered the room, Draco looked more surprised than the Auror watching him. Though, he supposed, it wasn't that odd for him to come into an interrogation—he was an Auror as well—but Draco wasn't his case.

'Can I speak with him alone for a moment?'

At that the Auror and Draco's expressions switched.

'Um,' the Auror Smith faltered. Harry didn't have the authority to order anyone around, but few people refused to give him anything he asked for. 'I suppose I could use a break.'

Harry waited a minute after Auror Smith left before he spoke. 'What did they mean by "you have no alibi"? You always have an alibi. Why were you alone?'

'I wasn't alone,' Draco said. 'I was asleep.'

'What about the house elves?'

Draco sighed. 'It was bound to happen sooner or later.'

'Draco—'

He caught Harry's gaze and said, 'It was last night.'

'Last night . . . ? What time last night?'

He rubbed his forehead. 'Potter—' he said, sighing again.

'I'm your alibi?'

'Like I said: "It was bound to happen sooner or later."'

They stared at each other, waiting in silence until Auror Smith came back in. Smith looked back and forth at the pair and then asked:

'Alright then?'

Harry nodded and moved to leave, but stopped. Turning to Smith he asked, 'What times?'

'What?'

'What times?' Harry repeated.

'Oh, um.' She looked down to the file and then back up to Harry. 'Midnight to four this morning.'

Harry glanced back at Draco. Draco must have fallen asleep at Harry's house. He was gone by the time Harry woke up that morning; Harry hadn't even known.

'Get the pensieve team ready to compare memories.'

That got Smith to jump up. 'Wait, who's the alibi? He said he didn't have one.'

Harry took a moment to respond as his voice temporarily left him, but he pulled up his courage and looked right at Auror Smith when he said:

'I am.'

#

Harry met with the Aurors and pulled out the memory. As he handed it over to Auror Thompson, he blushed and couldn't look at her nor her partner. He had never thought anything of their new policy of looking through people's memories. It had never seemed so personal. He realised then that there were so many things, however innocent they were, which simply weren't meant to be watched by others.

Draco never came to his house to simply visit. They always had sex, and two of his colleagues were about to watch it. Twice: first from his memory and then Draco's. Harry spent the rest of the day trying and failing to not think about it. No matter who came by to talk to him, he could feel himself blushing.

On Harry's way out of the office, Head Auror Robards called him into his office.

Before Harry had a chance to sit down Robards started: 'I tried to keep this from the Minister.'

Harry was sure he did, because it would cause problems for Robards if Shacklebolt learned about all the time and money the Aurors were wasting trying to put Draco in Azkaban. As well as Harry got on well with him, Harry providing an alibi for Draco wouldn't be a mark against him in Minister Shacklebolt's eyes.

'I also informed them to tell no one what they saw but—'

Harry couldn't breathe. He could tell what was coming next from the way it was said.

'Apparently, we have a bit of a gossip problem in our department. I'm . . .'

Well, he certainly wasn't sorry, Harry was sure. If he was, then he would have told the Aurors not to bother looking through the memories at all. He would have put a stop to them harassing Draco long ago.

'The Minister has ordered that no one bring Mr Malfoy in again . . . unless, of course, there is already solid evidence that he has done something illegal.'

'So you're ordered to treat him like everyone else—basically.'

'You're dismissed, Auror Potter,' Robards said with a glare. 'That's all I needed from you.'

Yes, Harry was a horrible boyfriend, if he was one at all, because a part of him knew it would only take a quick word from him to make the harassment stop. Although, he wasn't sure how much Draco would appreciate it.

When he got home, Draco was sitting in his apartment waiting for him. Harry jumped when he saw him, not used to anyone being there when came in. Draco usually never came over until all sane people were fast asleep.

'Throwing caution to the wind?'

Draco shrugged. 'I haven't been here long, and I knew you'd be home soon.'

'Well, it's safe either way.' Harry continued after Draco gave him an inquiring look. 'The Minister has ordered the Aurors to leave you alone and to quit wasting their time and the Ministry's money on old grudges.'

'He said that?'

Harry smiled. 'I'm not sure the exact wording, but I'm sure it was something along those lines. Robards told me.'

They sat in silence for a moment before Draco spoke again. 'What does this mean . . . for us?'

Harry's heart began to race. He didn't know how to answer that. He wanted to ask Draco what he wanted, to leave it all up to him, but Harry was too nervous—or perhaps still too embarrassed from the day—to say those things. He opted for humour instead.

'We don't have to hide anymore.'

Not the best humour, but it got Draco to smile.

#

In the morning, Harry woke up to Draco beside him. It was the first time, but Harry already liked the change. As he got up to make coffee for them, realised how little he knew about Draco. He didn't even know how he took his coffee, or if he even drank coffee. Their pseudo-relationship had started quickly after running into each other out shopping one day.

They had started to fight and Harry while holding onto Draco suddenly Apparated to his bedroom—Harry couldn't even remember why. He probably simply wanted to get away from Draco.

Draco kissed him first.

After that, Draco had began to show up at Harry's flat in the middle of the night, and Harry never thought to complain about it. It quickly became a routine, but Harry was never sure what their relationship really was. So he kept his distance from Draco in public, and Draco did the same.

The morning owl arrived with the Prophet just after he'd made his own cup of coffee. His and Draco's face covered the front page. He was startled by Draco's voice a second later.

'That was fast,' Draco said.

'They usually are,' Harry said. 'Rita has spies everywhere gathering gossip for her. Do you drink coffee?'

Draco hesitated. 'I—I've never tried it.'

'It's a bit of an acquired taste.' Harry began to make him a cup with a lot of cream and sugar. Very few people enjoyed coffee black from the beginning. Before he'd finished, Draco grabbed his hand, pulled Harry to him, and gave him a light kiss. It was a bit awkward, but Harry liked it.

As much as Harry knew that everything Rita printed was lies, it was difficult to ignore when she so easily brought up all his own fears. Draco was raised to seek power and Harry knew from watching him when they were younger that Draco sucked up to anyone who had it. Harry was considered one of the most respected and powerful wizards in Britain, and it was hard for Harry to accept any attention from Draco without that thought in the back of his mind.

Draco sipped his coffee. Harry needed to get ready for work. What did Draco do all day long while Harry was a work? Though Harry was sure it wasn't anything illegal, he was curious about Draco's life.

Harry cleared his throat. 'I'll probably have dinner with the Weasley's tonight. I'll need to talk to them about—' Harry gestured to the paper.

Draco nodded. 'I should probably get home soon. My mother will want to talk to me as well, I'm sure.' After another quick kiss, Draco was gone, leaving his coffee half finished and Harry's stomach twisted in knots at the thought of the rest of his day.

#

Harry arrived home late.

Once again, Draco was there waiting for him.

'I take it from the look on your face the Weasley's were about as pleasant as my friends and family.'

Harry snorted. 'It's just been a long day.' A long day of defending Draco to every person he spoke to. A long day of running out of nice things to say about him after saying: he's changed, he's different. Harry wasn't even sure that part was true.

Draco certainly was different while they were having sex, but wasn't everyone?

He couldn't answer anyone's questions: what does he do all day? Are you sure he isn't using you? Do you love him? Does he love you? How did you even get together in the first place?

Harry, of course, knew the answer to the last one, but didn't feel the truth was an appropriate answer.

'They'll come around,' Draco said, taking Harry's hand and leading him into the bedroom.

It was the one place they were familiar with each other.

#

'It's not like you've ever said it.'

'Are you suggesting that I don't care about you?' Draco's voice quiet, but his anger was still obvious from his tone. 'That I'm using you, because I haven't said that I love you yet?'

Harry didn't answer. Of course, Draco had read all the same rumours Harry had, so even without Harry saying what he was thinking outright he already knew what everyone else thought of their relationship. Draco just hadn't known Harry's fears about the truth of them. He wasn't sure what he was suggesting, really. It had simply been another long day, after too many other long days.

'You've never told me, either,' Draco pointed out.

Draco had to be the one to say it first. He knew he wasn't being fair, but he needed Draco to be the first to say it. Harry realised that yes, somewhere along the way, he had fallen in love with Draco, but he knew he couldn't tell Draco nor push their relationship forward until Draco told him he felt the same.

Harry watched Draco in the reflection of the kitchen window. One minute he was there, glaring at Harry's back. Harry could see him in the reflection off the window that looked out to the back garden. And the next moment, he was gone. Harry's stomach dropped as he turned around and scanned the empty kitchen. His heart began pounding as he ran through his flat calling Draco's name only for it to echo back at him. Draco was gone.

Harry ran out the front door, but if Draco had walked out instead of Disapparating then he was already too far gone to see.

#

It only took two days for it to hit the papers that Harry and Draco were over. Harry couldn't figure out how anyone could even tell. Did Rita have him followed? He wouldn't put it past her. They had never gone out together, so no one would notice that they were no longer seen in public. There were no stories of Draco being seen with someone else, and Harry knew he wasn't interested in seeing anyone else himself. Harry hadn't told any of his friends and the paper didn't credit any of Draco's friends with a quote.

Harry wondered if he looked so miserable that she could have guessed?

Harry shook his thoughts away and buried himself in another day of work.

Hours later Auror Thompson stood in front of Harry's desk. He nodded a greeting as he began to wrap up his paperwork for the day.

She cleared her throat and said, 'He loves you, you know.'

No, Harry really didn't know. At one time he had hoped, but it was all pointless now.

'I saw Draco's memory, and he was awake for a while after you fell asleep. I had thought it odd that he waited until you were asleep to say it. I know it's not really any of my business, but after everything that has happened I just thought you should know.'

'Say it?' Harry asked. 'I'm sorry, but he waited until I was asleep to say what exactly?'

'That he loves you.' She shook her head at him as she said it. 'I thought that was rather obvious.'

#

Actions spoke louder than words for Draco. They always had. There was no way that he could possibly stay with Harry after finding out that he meant so little to him. Especially after Draco went and fell in love with him. Draco had always liked how little Harry forced them to talk. Yet, he knew for a relationship to work they'd have to talk things out, and be honest with each other. He always found a way to stick his foot in his mouth, when he was around people he loved, respected or admired.

Draco had let Harry believe they kept their relationship quiet for Harry's reputation. He never told Harry that he had just as much to lose if his family found out about them. He never mentioned that the moment the story hit the papers, his mother had made him choose between her, along with their money, or Harry. Of course, he could always return home, but the deal stood: them or Harry. Harry didn't know what Draco going home really meant.

All his mother had said when she let him in the front door—he was no longer allowed to Apparate in—was:

'That was quick.'

It had only been two days and already Draco regretted walking out on Harry. They could have worked it out, if Draco had only stormed upstairs instead of out the door. Their relationship—everything but the sex—was new. They didn't have to be at the "I love you" stage yet. They had plenty of time.

His mother was pouring her nightly bourbon and chattering on about his future now that he was home again, when the knock came at the door. His mother set aside her drink and went to answer the door.

'Hello, Mrs Malfoy.'

Draco rose from his seat at the sound of Potter's voice.

'Mr Potter,' she replied as though she was berating him for existing. He asked to speak with Draco, but she of course refused. 'You had your chance, I'm afraid. Seven months together and you couldn't last a week with the world knowing about it.'

Draco could picture Harry's grimace at that, though he couldn't see him with the door blocking his view. Harry probably wondered how his mother knew that much about their relationship. Draco was so used to his parents knowing everything about him, he long ago stopped questioning how they found out. House elves most likely was what he'd settled on years before.

'Please, Mrs Malfoy, I love him . . . I have to tell—'

Draco had to sit before he fell. In his shock, he missed part of their conversation, but he assumed his mother must have told Harry no again.

'I'll just have to wait until he comes out on his own then.'

'You'll be waiting a while,' his mother informed Harry. 'He's not allowed out until he is over you.'

Harry laughed at that.

'What are you going to do? Lock him in a tower?'

'He has no reason to leave. He has no job and without me no money to spend. Everything he needs he already has here at home. His friends are allowed to visit him here.'

'You hate me that much?'

'I don't hate you at all, Mr Potter. As long as you and Draco kept your relationship, well, purely physical as it was, I had no problem with it. Draco is the last of our family and as such he is the only possibility of our continuing on to another generation. You were an unfortunate distraction, and though I am grateful for all your help, you can't very well carry his children—'

Draco was finally able to move again, and he quickly got up to stop his mother's rambling before she was able to embarrass him any more. His mother was controlling, but not evil. He knew what she wanted and she might take money away to try and force her will, but she wasn't going to physically lock him in his room. If he came to the door, even after being ordered not to, she wasn't going to stop him.

Harry's eyes brightened when he saw Draco.

'Draco, leave,' his mother ordered. When he didn't, she continued, 'haven't you learned anything from this past week? You know this isn't going to work. When he's done with you, he'll leave you with nothing!'

Though his parents had learned to love each other over the years, his mother had always been cynical about love in general.

'I love you,' Harry said, ignoring Draco's mother where she stood between them. 'And I'm sorry I tried to force you to say it first. It was stupid. And I—why didn't you tell that me your parents cut you off? I know I should have trusted you either way. . . but had I known. . .'

'I'm not good at talking about things like this, Potter,' Draco finally said.

Harry smiled. 'I know. I think I've always known that about you.' He looked far too pleased about that.

'I'm sorry I left. I shouldn't have given up so quickly.'

'Well,' his mother huffed and stormed back to the sitting room. 'Just take him away with you, then.'

Draco rolled his eyes and stepped closer to Harry, and in a hushed voice said, 'She really will come around. She's simply upset at the idea of never having any grandchildren. She thinks I've waited too long as it is.'

'So, what happens if you leave with me now?'

'I'll be cut off again, at least until she lets it go.' Draco forced a smile. 'It's a bit more of a commitment than you'd envisioned I know. It's one of the reasons I didn't want to tell you. We weren't ready yet.'

Harry shook his head. 'I think I am; I think I have been for quite a while. I just needed something to push me, but you never did; at least not when I could hear you.'

'What?'

'Auror Thompson told me what I'd been missing.'

Draco couldn't meet Harry's eyes after that. He hated how much the Aurors knew about him. One of the things he loved about their relationship being a secret was simply that. He had something that was his alone.

'I don't want to miss things anymore, though.'

Draco nodded. 'I don't really know how to have a real relationship.'

'Neither do I, but . . . I'm sure we can figure it out.' Harry pulled Draco into a kiss. 'Just promise you won't come running back to your mother every time we have a fight.'

'Only if you promise to quit reading that horrible newspaper.'

'Agreed,' Harry said with a smile, pulling Draco to him and into a kiss.