Title: The Rain Kept Falling
Author: olimakiella
Rating: G
Pairing: H/D
Words: 2000
Warnings: This is H/D slash. No likey no readey. Fluff, major protectiveness and er… FLUFF
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: This is a sequel The Rain Fell
Summary: The next morning, Harry goes to work and this time, he's had enough.
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"You didn't come into work yesterday." The statement seemed like a question and Harry wasn't sure if he should answer. When he looked up momentarily he realised Moody was looking for an acknowledgement.
Harry stood in Moody's office his head down being chastised like a disobedient child. He answered in kind. "No, sir."
Moody stood in front of him, his arms crossed in front of his desk glaring like Harry'd just announced he'd become the new Dark Lord and wanted Moody as his right hand man. Kingsley stood silent to their right. "You do realise the briefing to our two week assignment was yesterday." At Harry's nod Moody continued. "How, exactly, were you planning on getting up to date when we leave in an hour?" Moody's magical eye bore into him and Harry kept silent. "We are supposed to leave at night and no one wanted to come in early for the briefing, instead choosing to have it yesterday so they could properly prepare. We all voted. You were there last week, Potter, when we all voted. Yet you still missed it. Care to explain why, Potter?" He leaned back against his desk and waited for an answer.
Harry paused. Was that a good idea, to tell them he'd foregone his daily job to spend the dark rainy day in bed with his boyfriend? Someone who most of the Auror unit were in no favour of? Probably not.
"Someone very close to me was ill yesterday, sir," he said slowly so that it didn't sound like a lie. He saw Moody's expression darken just from the thought of Draco alone. "He still is, actually. Only I knew that if I didn't come in today someone would be sent to my house to physically retrieve me via your orders."
"You could have sent a note, Potter."
Harry scoffed. "A note would have done no good, Moody, you know that. You don't like Draco and you couldn't care any less if he was sick. I seem to be the only one who does and I'm sick of people judging him. If I knew that's what the job was like I wouldn't have signed up."
Kingsley, finally, put it a word or two. "Harry, there's no need to go that far. We're your friends-" He stopped momentarily when Moody snorted. "We worry about you is all."
"Real friends would have had him strung up when they found him in that house," Moody grumbled. Harry stared at him, not quite believing what he was hearing.
When Draco had disappeared in their seventh year, naturally, everyone had just assumed he'd gone to join ranks with Voldemort. Harry, honestly, had been a little disappointed. And angry. The blond had taken to practically ignoring everyone in his vicinity, and thus had stopped all the annoying things he usually did to Harry and his friends. When they'd been partnered in Potions, Harry found he didn't really mind because Draco wasn't all that bad once they got to working. When he'd up and left, Harry had to admit he was sad to see him go. He was both sad and angry to know he'd have to face him in combat.
After Voldemort had been killed it had taken little time to round up the Death Eaters, mainly because they'd all passed out as soon as the 'man' had fallen. Draco, though, wasn't there. Upon a sweep of all Death Eater houses, Draco was found half dead in the basement of the Parkinson house, of all places. Harry was the one who'd found him and carried his extremely light-weight to the surface. It had taken Draco two weeks to wake up. Draco still refused to speak about what had happened to him there.
When he finally woke up, they'd formed a rocky friendship. Since Harry was the only one to believe he wasn't a Death Eater, Draco spoke to him most of the time. His other friends hardly came by, if ever, since they were all looked at like scum so Harry really was his only friend. When St. Mungo's couldn't house him anymore there had been the issue of where he would go. Most immediately suggested Azkaban. Harry nearly tore down the entire hospital with his outburst stating if anyone came near the blond he'd rip them apart. He'd then invited Draco to stay with him. Their relationship had bloomed from there.
Harry continued to stare at Moody, his magic flaring beneath his skin. His eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth in his effort to restrain the outburst that would, most likely, rival that of the St. Mungo's episode. He took a deep breath and let it out. Surprising himself with his calm he said, "Moody."
Moody's real eye narrowed at him as the magical one spun round and round. "Potter."
A concentrated blast of magic struck Moody in the chest sending Moody flying back into the wall of his office, sending him a few feet in the air and crashing through his desk. Kingsley stepped back as Harry walked forward, leaned over the desk and glared at Moody on the ground. "As the head of the Auror division, you can consider this my notice of resignation." He stood up straight, turned to Kingsley and nodded. "Evening Kingsley." He then proceeded to exit the Ministry of Magic.
Harry stood outside the visitors entrance looking to the dark sky as the pelted down with rain. He smiled as he looked down to the pavement seeing puddles of water already forming. He breathed deep and apparated home with a course of the thunder.
The house was warm and smelled good. He'd taught Draco a little on the cooking side since they'd been together, and his boyfriend had caught on quickly. Just like Potions, he'd said. Harry wasn't sure about that because he could cook and he was dreadful at Potions. He walked more into the house, bypassing the stairs and walking directly into the kitchen. He saw Draco at the stove, stirring something in a pot that seemed to be the source of the wonderful smell. He was wearing a pair of boxers and one of Harry's shirts. The one he always wore when Harry was away on assignment, which is where Harry was supposed to be by now.
Harry was content to watch him there all night but then he sneezed, scaring the blond half to death. Draco spun around, eyes wide and wooden spoon instantly transfiguring back into his wand. Harry never understood why Draco used his wand to cook, he had perfectly normal wooden spoons right there next to the stove.
"Harry! Merlin you frightened me. What are you doing back so early? Are you hurt?" Draco walked up to inspect him and Harry knew he wouldn't listen to his answer anyway, but nevertheless, he shook his head. "Why are you soaking wet? Were you outside on stakeout or something?" Harry shook his head again. Draco cocked an eyebrow. "Can you talk?"
Harry, smiling still, said, "Of course I can talk."
Draco frowned, still worried. "Then talk to me," he said.
Harry shook his head and took off his Auror robes, slinging them over the top of a random stool, he sat on another one. He heard a distant roll of thunder and sighed. "It doesn't matter."
Draco made the few steps to the stool and leaned on the counter next to his boyfriend. "What doesn't matter?" Draco asked.
Harry thought for a moment how he was going to answer that question. "I quit my job."
Draco's eyebrows raised on his forehead. "Seriously? Er, why?"
Harry looked up at his boyfriend and didn't need to think twice about what he was going to tell him. Draco didn't need to know what Moody said. Just like he didn't need to know anything that Moody or anyone else had to say over the past year and a half. Draco wouldn't ever know, as long as Harry was there to prevent it. He stood up and pulled Draco to him enveloping him in a hug. "I got tired of it all. It's been wearing me down the past few weeks, you know that," he said loosening his hold so he could look him in the eye. Draco nodded tightening his arms around Harry's shoulders. "When they gave me a leave of absence for a while, and I realised how happy I was to hear it, I figured it was time to let it go." He shrugged and grinned. "All the better, I can spend long mornings in bed with you." He rested his forehead against Draco's and relished in the laugh he heard. His eyes closed when he heard it and he knew without a doubt he'd chosen well. He sighed as he held his boyfriend tighter listening to the rain and idly thinking that it was the rain yesterday that got him into this.
Draco frowned at his behaviour. "Are you sure you're alright with that?" He pulled back, his hands resting on Harry's collarbone. "I know how much you love your job, Harry, only a fool couldn't see it. Don't quit on a whim only to regret it later."
Harry stared at him, his eyes quickly flicking from one to another. He saw the worry in there, willing him to think about his decision. So Harry thought about all the times he'd had to warn Moody, among others, to watch what they said around him. How he'd always get the assignments that kept him away the longest, and then come home to find his wards slightly altered on his home. He'd had countless arguments with various members of the Ministry, on when he was going to bring his boyfriend in for the trial he was due to have. Harry, of course, had noticed no matter how many times they'd threatened to arrest the blond they never did, even when he walked around Diagon Alley in plain daylight - alone. Harry knew they had nothing on him. He had no mark and there were no factual accounts on him being present at any raids. His physical condition alone when they'd found him told them he was in no condition to do anything, let alone maim and kill. Reports from the Mediwizards at St. Mungo's stated in black and white his condition was not a result of a few days in isolation, but over four weeks, and Draco had only been missing for five.
Harry just couldn't stand it anymore. He hated his workplace and he needed to get away from there. They'd made him choose and Harry knew that he'd chosen correctly. He pulled Draco closer, their lips barely touching just to take pleasure in their closeness before kissing Draco soundly. Draco slid his hands down Harry's back as he stood in the vee of his legs. Draco leaned even closer and their arms slid around the other tighter, locking them together in a solid embrace as they kissed.
They parted mutually and Harry looked at Draco in his serious way with a loving, longing look. "Don't worry, this is a decision I know I won't ever regret." He then turned to the stove. "Now what did you cook? I'm starving."