Title: At Midnight
Author: Cythrel's Scythe
Beta: None! (If you want to beta, please send me a beta'd version of this and I'll keep in touch. :D)
Rating: M
Pairings: Harry Potter/ Draco Malfoy
Warnings: Homosexuality, indications of Mpreg
Summary: It is another boring Ministry ball but it seems surprises take place at midnight.
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A/N: Another unbeta-ed story so the mistakes are ALL MINE and I deeply apologize for them. I dedicate this one-shot to my very good friend, Amber Emiaeon for her birthday. Belated Happy Birthday! =D
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/-I solemnly swear I am up to no good-/
It was an unusual day for Draco Malfoy. It was a weekday and usually, he was busy in the bowels Department of Magical Law Enforcement or DMLE suffering mounds of paperwork. In fact, a report about some kind of accident in the muggle world by a couple of drunken wizards should be in his desk for a review from the Auror Department today.
He woke up around 8 am, as usual and found himself waking to a cold bed. He sighed and rolled to get out of bed when he found a tray on his night stand with his favourite breakfast: pancakes with butter and honey, fresh orange slices and hot coffee.
With a smile, he took the tray and placed it on his lap as he started to eat. He then noticed the small paper tucked under the plate, green ink splashed across the paper in an unmistakable scrawl.
"I hope this makes up for my absence. Eat well, my love."
There was no sign for there was no need. Draco was filled with warmth that chased the coldness from waking up alone. He tucked the note inside the drawer of his night stand and dug in the breakfast with new found vigour. He knew from the taste of the pancakes that it was made manually, not by their house elf, Giggles and that made him smile once more.
After doing the things he needs to do after eating, he went to the walk-in closet (he insisted to have it built) and wore the clothes he prepared for that day.
He was has finished giving instructions to the house elf and floo when the floo itself flared green and a paper plane flew out from it. He snatched it from the air and unfolded it, it was an announcement from the Ministry saying that today was a non-working day for the higher-ups of the various ministry departments. Britain will be hosting the Annual Foreign Relations Ball. Since the ball is tonight, the higher ups and the Minister himself will make sure that every detail of tonight's ball is perfect.
Draco has already done his task for that ball. The auror squad that will guard the perimeter of the Ministry inside and outside the Muggle-Wizarding borders for the duration of the ball are ready and the assistant Head Auror has already been given instructions on scanning the grounds last night and hours before the event.
Initially, he has no plans on attending the ball tonight (as shocking as sound, being a known social butterfly and all) because he was actually tired of the bureaucratic hodgepodge and going alone in the ball but alas, being the Assistant Head of the DMLE and his position in the Wizarding society makes the 'skip-the-ball' plan null.
He sighed aggravatingly at that.
He tried to stay home but found it virtually impossible because he keeps on remembering that all occupants of this house are elsewhere and he was alone with the house elf. It reminds him how...alone he was at the moment and somehow, it makes him cold inside to think about it.
He went out to visit the Weasley twins in Diagon Alley. Their business is flourishing as usual, children and adults alike are pouring in and out of the shop, looking and purchasing the novelty items that the twins have invented.
He became friends with the twins after the war. They had some...agreement during the preparation of the 'Leaving Ball' in Hogwarts after his 'Eighth' year and their friendship took off nicely after that and became stronger after his marriage.
Three years ago, he officially announced that the Malfoy Group is in partnership agreement with the Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, helping them to hit off globally. This business deal shocked the Wizarding Economy since it was a business alliance between two feuding is something they never saw coming nor even think possible.
After having tea with the twins in their office in the shop's premises, he went to visit Blaise Zabini in his manor. He spent his usual quality time with his goddaughter, Cassidy, who was asking for his son but told her he was with his 'Aunt' and 'Uncle' earning him a pout and making him promise to bring his son next time he visits, and talked about the incoming ball with Blaise and his wife, Pansy Parkinson.
And as the inevitable came, he brought up his dilemma about the ball and how he wasn't able to prepare for it. Pansy, once resident fashion guru of the Slytherin House, flew into action. This caused Blaise to take Cassidy and mumble some excuse about 'promising his little princess for some ice cream in Diagon' leaving Draco in the mercies of Pansy.
After hours of intensive rushed shopping, (even going for a quick fashion trip to Paris and Milan) Pansy felt satisfied for the clothes he will wear on the ball (which he can pick for himself, thankyouverymuch) and her own shopping (which didn't have any connection with the ball tonight) and they went back to Britain through floo.
His attire was tailored and rushed which made it much more expensive than the usual but the moment it was finished and tried on, they had agreed that the price was nothing compared to the aesthetic finish of the robes.
By nightfall, he flooed home and found out that no one went home and so, he prepared for the ball. He donned robes that looked black or dark blue, depending on how the light hits the fabric, with silver celtic knots embroidered on the hem of its sleeves. He slipped on black dragonhide trousers that almost hugged his legs and donned in his black dragonhide boots. He clasped his shoulder length hair with the silver clasp given by Hermione Granger last Christmas and donned a soft black outer robe for finishing touches of his robe ensemble. He grabbed a black mask in the study, a black mask with silver designs on the upper and lower left sides, that serves as an invitation for the ball.
He stepped out of the gracefully and walked directly to the masked usher. In seeing his mask, the usher gave a small bow and gestured for him to go in the venue. After passing through a black curtain that separates the receiving area from the venue, he was greeted by a transformed Ministry atrium.
The Fountain of Magical Brethren's waters (which he always found offending and was glad it was altered after the war) were reflecting the lights spelled on the statues of Merlin, Circe, Agrippa and Ptolemy I making the waters look like jets of spells spouting from the statues' wands. The floor was now a black marble with gold veins on it and the dance floor was marked with white tiles on the centre of the atrium. There were round tables scattered strategically around the dance floor. A bar was on a darkened corner and a punch bowl on a booth near the dance floor.
He was lead on to a table where most of the Law Enforcement people from other countries were seated. He was greeted by some of his table mates or he was swarmed by the polite chatter in different languages on the table.
The ball started around eight in the evening and it started with the International Confederation of Wizards' Chief Warlock's opening remarks followed by the Britain's Minister of Magic welcoming speech and the dancing of the Ministers and their dates commenced and after that dance ended, the ball officially begins.
Draco on the other hand, just sat on the table listening to a German talk in heavily accented English to another, whose voice he recognised to be his superior, Donald Cuthbert Head of DMLE about some revisions the ICW plans for the Statute of Secrecy. His seat mate on his right wearing a deep maroon mask keeps on looking in his direction and is staring at him for quite some time now, he politely ignored the stare with some difficulty.
His seat mate actually gathered his courage to ask him if he can get him some punch and with a start, Draco realised, his seat mate is French. He politely declined in perfect French but the man seems to be undeterred. He glanced around helplessly and saw a head with long brown hair adorned with hazel highlights braided with a gold sash and an old rose coloured robes wrapped around her voluptuous figure, her arm was linked to that of a man with tanned complexion in navy blue robes with a simple black mask perched over his nose.
Pansy and Blaise, thank Merlin.
He discreetly flashed his wedding ring to the insistent in hopes that he will stop and fled to go the people he never thought he would be ever relieved to meet. Pansy, seeing him coming to their way, conjured an identical chair and gestured for Draco to sit.
"I am glad to know that you can still recognise us even in incognito." Pansy said in greeting, a smirk finding its way on her face.
"Please, darling. We have known each other since diaper years. I'll know you even if you drink Polyjuice." Draco drawled as he took his seat on the proffered chair. Pansy laughed lightly and Blaise snickered at the side.
"Too true" Pansy replied as she turned serious, "What happend? You look like you were desperate to flee from your table."
Draco groaned softly and explained to the couple about the insistent (not to mention unnerving) French wizard.
While Pansy was busy speculating who might be that wizard a woman in crimson coloured robes and red chrome mask sprinkled with rubies neared them and promptly conjured a chair. The small group fell in silence as they regarded the woman.
"Why in the world did you dye your hair black, Daphne?" Draco said in greeting as Daphne leaned in for a cheek-to-cheek.
"Hello to you too, darling I am having a good time, thank you for asking." Daphne sniped, flicking her wavy black hair as she sat on the conjured chair. Blaise have to hold his laughter and Pansy rolled her eyes behind her mask. It was a typical Draco and Daphne interaction.
"I found myself curious about the...reinvention, Daphne. What brought this on?" Pansy cut in before they start bantering around this people. Honestly, one would think they weren't introduced and bred into impeccable social graces.
"Aside from wanting to dissuade the people that I am Draco Malfoy's illegitimate sister, this is my mark of mourning." Daphne idly replied as she ran a finger on the rim of her glass, red nails reflecting with the red wine. The other three looked at her in askance.
"Not that being my illegitimate sister is a thought I do not want to entertain but...mark of mourning?" Draco asked as he took a sip from his wine. Pinot Noir, huh.
"Well, all of my friends are happily married with kids of their own and I have not yet settled down. I find it...tragic."
Draco snorted ungracefully at this, earning him a nasty glare from Pansy, which he pretended he didn't see, "And I am having flashbacks of someone," he gave Daphne a pointed look "who said that she wanted to be like Pyrrha Zabini except the part that she gets married to different men in indefinite patterns as she couldn't see herself to be like Narcissa Malfoy who was the 'perfect pureblood' wife."
Pansy and Blaise have matching smirks at that. Daphne had said that when she was heartbroken and decided to crash in Draco's flat five years ago. Daphne waved that away like an errant fly, her nails glinted as she did so.
"I was young and was a little slut that time."
Blaise can't hold it anymore and burst out laughed, making their table mates look at their group for a moment. Pansy looked scandalised from the use of crass language.
"And you are not a slut now?" Draco asked in mock confusion. Daphne playfully scowled and smacked his arm.
"You are so mean." Daphne declared with a pout.
"Oh, but you love me for it." Draco retorted, leering at Daphne under his mask.
Daphne nodded sagely "I know, though why, only Salazar knows."
They shared a laugh after that. Daphne then asked what was bothering them before she came and Pansy debriefed her. The moment Pansy finished her recounting, the French wizard choose that moment to saunter to their table.
"Oh for the love of Merlin, can't the man take a hint?" Draco complained as he saw him.
"Oh darling, leave him to me." Daphne murmured.
The French wizard opened his mouth to speak but Daphne pounced on his right away, hooking her slender arms around that of the man.
"I would love to dance with you and a drink would also be nice." Daphne purred seductively in French.
The French wizard blinked rapidly at the new addition on his arm and roamed his eyes on her figure as much as their position can allow them. His pale eyes clouded as he took in the sight and nodded absently, still looking at her face. Daphne smiled predatorily as she dragged him to the dance floor.
"Salazar, that woman..." Blaise muttered looking at Daphne who dragged the French wizard to the cocktail punch, both were flirting heavily making the people around them go away.
"It is a good thing our faces are covered with masks or I'll never admit I know her." Pansy said haughtily, though she was smirking. Daphne was playing "Untouchable Goddess" right now, a game they played on numerous purebloods when they were in their teens.
"You know love I have this brilliant idea about masks..." Blaise began in a husky tone that was the cue of Draco to leave. He stood up silently as the couple began to flirt themselves, something he didn't want to witness.
He found himself salvation in the form of the bar. There was no one in it except a waiter cleaning bar glasses using a wash rug. He was scowling so heavily you'd think that the glass has done something to him.
He sat on a bar stool and casted a tempus, it was nearing midnight. He sighed wearily, few minutes more and he is really going home, he is sure the house has occupants by now. He was startled out of his musings when a waiter handed him a glass of martini with an olive floating on it.
"The man over there said to give it to you, sir." The waiter said without preamble and went back to the man in dark green robes whose back was turned to him.
Draco looked at the glass in his hand in surprise. Martini is his favourite muggle liquor and only six people knows about it and the Ministry serving muggle liquor in their ball is totally out of question. Draco stared at the man's back in suspicion as he silently casted detection spells in the wine and when the spells indicated negative, he sipped at the liquor taking in the kick and sleekness it offered.
He trained his gaze on the dance floor and saw Daphne being left out by his dance partner. The look on Daphne's face was so murderous you can see it even if she was a mask. Draco sighed and looked at the glass longingly as he downed it. He grimaced as he stood up and left the glass on the bar table and made his way to the dance floor.
He bowed a bit to Daphne and she returned the gesture. Draco held out his gloved hand and Daphne placed hers above it. Together, they gracefully danced to the music.
"He was such an arsehole!" Daphne hissed venomously under her breath as they swayed to a side.
"I should concur. He should consider himself lucky to even receive as much of a glance from the Lady Greengrass, homosexual or not." Draco said, to placate his steaming friend.
It seemed to work when Daphne's crimson painted lips turned upward in a small smile, her blue eyes shining on the off-handed comment. Draco was really sure Daphne would thank him but of course, she goes ruining the moment.
"Are you sure about your spouse, Draco? If you're not, you can always marry me you know...not that it would make me filthy rich..."
Draco laughed as he spun them around on a particular count.
"You know that we are not right for each other, dear." Draco reminded his dance partner.
They had tried a relationship with another when they were in Hogwarts and had a couple of trysts together but in the end they knew they are better off as friends and it stayed that way ever since. But it didn't stop Daphne to pout to Draco, who laughed and shook his head.
There was a tap on his shoulders and he turned to see a man in black and red robes with neatly cropped sandy blonde hair, his mask was that if silver chrome that covered half of his face and shockingly, he wasn't familiar with the man. He made a gesture alluding to Daphne.
"May I have this dance, my lady?" He said as he bowed low.
Daphne's eyes sparkled again, the sign of her delight. She nodded to Draco in thanks.
"I am very honoured to accept, my lord." Daphne replied with a small curtsey and she was whisked away with her new dance partner leaving Draco alone.
"The next dance is the dance before midnight, a dance offered to couples in love out there." The host said with a moderated 'Sonorus'.
A familiar tune blared throughout the atrium that made Draco snap into attention. He knew it very well since it is the dance in his own wedding. He sighed bitterly in nostalgia. Why does he ever attend this pish-posh again?
He was again startled when someone grabbed him gently by the waist and in a swift movement he was on the woman's position in the dance. He pierced his dance partner with a look and saw black hair, fine dark green robes with silver celtic knots on the hem of his sleeves and a silver chrome mask with black designs on the side but the eye slit of the mask was charmed to cover the eye colour of the wearer.
It was the man, who gave him the martini,
The man expertly guided him throughout the dance. He wasn't able to voice out his protests at his position or even to complain about what is going on.
The song's cadence slowed and faded to an end, the dance step was to spin in the arms of the 'male' in the dance. He did so and that is where he caught a whiff of coffee and musk, a smell he was really familiar to, as he woke up in that smell every day ever since five years ago.
He looked up sharply to his dance partner as if to confirm what he smelt is the person who he was thinking about the whole day.
Jewel-like green eyes of Harry Potter is looking at him with a decidedly amused twinkle. Harry pried the mask away from his face and stole a kiss before he can even react.
"Hello, my love."
Draco snapped out of his surprise and gave Harry a bright smile knowing words would elude him at this point.
"Finally, Draco, your husband deemed it fit to cure your loneliness with his presence." Pansy said in a stage-whisper as they both sat down the now empty table.
"Who's lonely? Certainly it was not I! I was merely...bored." Draco huffed in annoyance. The people around him smiled at him, knowing he was lying.
He felt hands caressing the side of his neck and surreptiously leaned to it. He felt Harry chuckling at this silently, the vibrations of it sending pleasant shivers to his body.
"Why didn't you tell me you are coming, Harry?"Draco murmured to the other. The caressing stilled for a moment then continued.
"It was a surprise, I suppose. Kingsley decided I should attend this gala or something and partially I want to make it up to my husband whom I have been neglecting."
Draco turned to look at Harry in the eye and only saw love, devotion, and guilt swimming in those green depths. He found himself falling in love even more to this man who have saved him and love him continuously. He closed the small distance between them and planted a chaste kiss to those lips.
"I am sure that your husband was very surprised and is very pleased." Draco murmured after they broke the kiss.
"Good because you should know you won't be going to these functions without me anymore." Harry said quietly but firmly.
"No, Harry love I don't want you to sacrifice your time-" Draco was cut short when fingers were laid to his lips.
"I don't want you to feel alone, Draco. I promised that to you six years ago, I will not back down upon that promise now." Harry said firmly. Draco's lips quirked in a small smile and didn't say anything.
The ball passed in a blur with Harry beside him. They talked about work and school (in Harry's case since he takes his Mastery for Dark Arts and Defence in Germany). There were many furtive glances in their way the moment the attendees shed their masks off. The press who were invited was even more surprised to find the 'Saviour' attending the ball since he stopped attending Ministry events the year after the end of the war.
The people were even more surprised to see the couple together since they were both private people so discreet photo shoots and attempts to eavesdropping were made. The eavesdroppers were foiled when they found out they were blocked by a very strong privacy barrier that shows how the Potter-Malfoy couple fiercely values their privacy.
The press and onlookers were sated of their curiosity for any interaction between the elusive couple stood from their table along with their friends for the last dance. The most prominent names since the war graced the dance floor: Auror Ron Weasley and his wife, Healer Hermione Granger-Weasley, business tycoon, Blaise Zabini and wife, Lady Pansy Parkinson, the socialite Lady Daphne Greengrass with Nimbus Racing Broom Company heir, Alexander Whitehorn, Hogwarts' Herbology Professor, Neville Longbottom and his wife, Quibble EIC and zoologist, Luna Lovegood-Longbottom, Hollyhead Harpies star seeker, Ginvera Weasley with Lord Theodore Nott and finally, Harry Potter, Hogwarts' Defence Professor and Auror Programme occasional trainer and his husband, CEO of Malfoy Group and Assistant Head of DMLE, Draco Malfoy the so-called 'Star Couple'. The press hurriedly snapped photos. Talks and whispers about the people on the dance floor began and reporters for gossip columns were like vultures hunting for some juicy scoop for their papers.
"Haven't they got over us yet?" Draco said huffily as he took in the situation outside the dance floor with a keen eye. Harry didn't answer since he was busy being paranoid and dancing at the same time.
The moment the last notes of the song permeated the air, the press converged at the edges of the dance floor. Draco saw Daphne wink at their direction
and was bemused. Alexander Whitehorn kissed Daphne on the lips after the song which totally got the attention of the press and the people around. Harry
took that as a chance to hook his arm around Draco's and they ran out of the ballroom. They were laughing the moment they reached the atrium, giddy.
Harry pulled Draco so that they were chest-to-chest for a long kiss that left them panting for air as they broke from each other.
"I love you." Draco murmured as he buried his flushed face on Harry's neck, feeling like a teenager.
"As I love you." Harry replied as his hand stroked the clothed back, feeling the soft fabric of the robes and the heat Draco seems to emanate.
Draco stepped in the floo first. He threw a pinch of floo powder and intoned in a clear voice, "Harlington Place"¹ as he disappeared in a flash of green. Harry followed him immediately.
He saw Draco standing in the middle of the receiving room talking to Dobby in hushed voices. The elf nodded vigorously and popped out. Draco gave Harry a fleeting look and went upstairs. Harry took that as a hint to follow his husband. They stopped on a certain white door and slowly, Draco opened the door and winced when the door made a creaking sound. They stepped in the room as quietly as they could.
They room was quite large and it is clear that the room houses a child if the charmed walls painted with moving clouds, colourful hot-air balloons and occasional birds flying are anything to go by. There were toys on a crate and a couple were strewn over the floor.
The cheerful room is not that the two men came for but rather for the toddler in a white and blue cot on a side. Harry caught his husband, who is standing near it, in an embrace and placed his chin on his shoulder, peering in also.
"He looks so peaceful, isn't he love?" Draco murmured. Harry placed a kiss on the sensitive spot below Draco's ear as he hummed in agreement.
Draco casts cleaning and disinfecting charms to himself and to Harry, as he loosened himself slightly to the warm embrace. He slowly carried the sleeping toddler with tufts of light blonde hair-just like his own-and embraced him gently. Harry adjusted his embrace so that he can embrace both of them.
The toddler opened his eyes lethargically and looked at them with heavy-lidded emerald green eyes. The green eyes eventually lost their sleepiness and brightened at the sight of them.
"Dada!" The toddler exclaimed cheerfully as he tugged a bit of Draco's long hair.
Draco pried it out gently and laid a kiss on the baby's nose which earned him a giggle and a toothy smile.
"How was your day with Grand-mère and Grand-père, Scorp?" Draco asked his son.
"Fun! Grand-mère shown me pretty flowers and Grand- père read me a book about a Dragon who lost its fire." Scorpius babbled away happily and the two listened to their son with smiles on their faces. Scorpius looked happy spending his day with Narcissa and Lucius, who both dote on their only grandchild ever since Draco gave birth to him, and never fails to ask the couple to let him spend the day with them if they are busy. Harry and Draco-especially Draco- is every thankful for that.
"We are very sorry we didn't spend the whole day with you, baby. Dada and I were very busy with work." Harry said to the baby gently as he laid a kiss on top of the soft blond hair. Scorpius merely patted Harry's neck in response.
Draco huffed at the 'Dada' word. When Scorpius first said that word after his second birthday, Harry has been encouraging their son to use it to refer to him ever since much to the disgruntlement of Narcissa and Lucius and the amusement of the Weasley Clan. Harry smiled impishly at him, knowing what he was thinking.
"Your Daddy should take a day off, shouldn't he Scorpius? You know, spend time with us, play with you during bath times...don't you like that?" Draco whispered conspiratorially to Scorpius who is smiling widely. Scorpius looked at the green eyes much like his own,
"Stay and play with us Daddy?" Scorpius asked with wide eyes to Harry. Draco looked at Harry pointedly at this. Instead of a sheepish smile or a frown as Draco expected, Harry's face morphed into a bright smile.
"Yes baby, Daddy would stay and play with you tomorrow. Dada would also join, is that okay?" Harry said as he prodded the baby gently in his stomach, making him squirm a bit and laugh. Draco looked at Harry in surprise.
"Master Weiss told me that we won't have a class tomorrow because there will be a Guild convention with the Guild Master and the other Masters for the whole day." Harry explained to his husband. His Mastery classes in the Dark Arts and Defence Guild in Germany takes place every Tuesday to Friday, after lunch until dusk.
"And Hogwarts?" Draco asked with his eyebrow raised. Harry shrugged in response. He also taught Defence against the Dark Arts for two years now though he only handled sixth and seventh years. A retired auror taught the first to fifth classes.
"I assigned the seventh years an essay. The sixth years will be reading about patroni, dementors and lethifolds."
"Oh, good! Very good." Draco exclaimed. Harry looked bemused and raised an eyebrow like what his husband did awhile ago.
"We will be staying in the house for a while and then we will go outside for a picnic. Sounds good?" Draco asked the other man, who was busy stroking the light blond hair of their son.
"And the 'staying-here-for-awhile part...we will have our picnic right?" Harry said suggestively. Draco laughed, nudging the other playfully.
"You are so insatiable." Draco declared as he shifted Scorpius in his arms.
Harry nodded emphatically, "Insatiable of you, love."
Draco laughed again and a mischievous glint entered his silvery-grey eyes.
"We have going to have so much fun." He purred. Harry just captured Draco's lips in response, between them Scorpius clapped in delight when he saw his parents kissing and very in love.
-Fin.
/-Mischief Managed-/
A/N: DONE! (*faints) Well, this is my first HP/DM and my first one-shot. How was it? I hoped you liked it Amber Emiaeon! Belated Happy Birthday and Advance Merry Christmas!
¹ I thank my friend and sister in all but blood, Marilyn for suggesting me that name.