Chapter One: Stumbling Out

Harry looked at the two pieces of mail he had gotten this morning. One was an invitation, sent to him by McGonagall to attend the annual gathering at Hogwarts for those lost in the war. It was the fifth year since the Battle of Hogwarts had taken place and the fourth year since McGonagall had started to host a memorial at the school. The first year after the war was too filled with mourning and people still trying to put their lives back together for remembering but after that people wanted to get together and remember their friends and loved ones who had given their lives.

The second piece of mail was a copy of the Prophet with a bold headline on the front page "FORMER DEATH EATER COMES OUT OF THE BROOM CLOSET?" It was written by Rita Skeeter and it was an article all about Draco Malfoy and the fact that he seemed to be interested in men. Malfoy had only been back in London for six months and already the Prophet had ran three articles about him. The first had been about how, during his time away from home, Lucius Malfoy was killed in Azkaban by another prisoner and Narcissa Malfoy had succumb to a post war depression and had taken her own life leaving Draco as the only Malfoy left. The second was all about how he had worked closely with Snape to keep the students of Hogwarts as safe as possible during Voldemort's reign of terror and now there was a picture of him and Blaise Zabini on the front page and from the angle the photo was taken at it looked as if the two men were kissing. Harry snorted knowing full well that Blaise was as straight as an arrow but he was not so sure about Malfoy.

Harry sighed and set the paper aside as his thoughts strayed unconsciously to the blond Slytherin. Draco Malfoy had been the reason Harry had discovered his own homosexuality. After the war Harry sequestered himself from his friends and family, shutting himself up in Grimmald place until Hermione had blasted his door down and insisted he talk to someone about how he was feeling. After trying to get out of it many times Harry finally went to a therapist who helped him deal with the after effects of the trauma he went through as well as helping him sort out some of his deeper feelings. When Harry began to recount his sixth year and obsessive stalking of Draco to his therapist she asked if there could be any deeper feelings he had ignored for the other boy. After days of Harry insisting she was mental he finally thought back to the way Draco Malfoy could get a reaction out of him like no one else, the fire that always seemed to pass between the two of them. Harry was reminded that the line between love and hate was very thin, Ron and Hermione had been flirting with it for years, perhaps he and Malfoy had been as well. He was able to admit that he had always found the other young man handsome and he was so floored by his revelation that he didn't go back to his therapist again. Instead Harry decided that he would try to rekindle his relationship with Ginny.

For the last three year he and Ginny had dated but the longer they stayed together the more Harry realized he was just using her to hide. He told her he wanted to wait before they had sex but he could tell Ginny was not only suspicious but impatient as well. Harry was too afraid to tell anyone how he was feeling, he tried to talk to Hermione about it but her relationship with Ron had gone south and Harry was trying not to get in the middle of their war. Then one day it happened, Ginny found out Harry's secret. She had been helping him do some cleaning and organizing in Grimmald place when she stumbled upon some very suggestive magazines and pictures of men in his bedside table.

"Well at least I know that it's not me you find unattractive, just women in general," Ginny had tried to make him feel at ease when she could tell that he was still unsure of himself and how people were going to react to him liking men.

"I'm so sorry Ginny," Harry had groaned running hands through his hair. "I've been trying to deny this part of myself for a long time and I'm finally able to be okay with it but I'm still worried about what other people could think."

Ginny understood and she and Harry had agreed to cover for each other. Ginny wanted to date Blaise Zabini but knew that her family wouldn't take so kindly to their only daughter dating someone they still thought of as bad for her so they would pretend they were still together until one of them was comfortable enough to move to the next step. That had been nearly a year ago and Ginny had been telling Harry for the past six months that she and Blaise wanted to make their relationship public. That was how Harry knew that Blaise was straight, because he and Ginny were happily together and serious enough that Ginny was ready to tell the rest of the Weasley clan.

Harry sighed again and pushed the paper away from him. Everything else in his life was wonderful; he loved being an Auror with Ron, Teddy was thriving and even though Ron and Hermione had broken up the three had managed to stay friends. If he could only find the courage to tell people what he really wanted out of his life he could be happy. He found it ridiculous that he, who had died so Voldemort could be brought down, he who had faced so much before he was even legally of age, was afraid of public opinions. That was one of the worst parts of celebrity, everyone and their mother felt like they had the right to interfere in his life and tell him what he should or shouldn't do.

Harry sighed and sat back, hearing the front door open.

"Harry?" he heard Ron call.

"Kitchen!" he yelled back at his best friend, flipping to the Quidditch section of the paper.

The redhead entered and sat down, pouring himself a cup of tea and taking a biscuit from the plate on the table. "Morning mate, I tried to Floo you earlier but you didn't answer."

"Sorry," Harry mumbled, taking a sip of his own tea. "I had a late night."

"I know," Ron chuckled. "I heard Ginny get home around one. Just because you're my best friend doesn't mean I'm not still watching you."

Harry nearly choked on his tea knowing that he was certainly not the reason Ginny hadn't gotten home until the wee hours of the morning, but also knowing he couldn't say that.

"I promise there is nothing untoward going on with your sister and I," Harry said very seriously.

"Did you get your invitation to the memorial this morning?" Ron wondered, changing the subject.

Harry nodded. "Can't we just skip it this year?"

"Harry, as the savior of the Wizarding world I really don't think you can," Ron responded, his mouth full. "But I do have something I want to ask you."

"Ask away."

"What do you think of me asking Pansy to go with me to the memorial?"

Harry sat back and regarded his best friend for a moment or two. Pansy Parkinson had been his and Ron's secretary at the Ministry for the last three years. At first she had been assigned the job as part of her public service requirement that kept her out of Azkaban with her family. Then when her time was up she interviewed and got the job for real. Pansy had seemed to grow into her features and Harry knew that Ron found her very pretty but would have never betrayed Hermione. Now that the pair was broken up Ron and Pansy had been flirting for months and Harry had been waiting for something like this to happen.

"If you want to ask her Ron you should," Harry insisted.

"I just haven't dated since Hermione and I split," Ron sighed.

"You have to start again sometime," Harry shrugged.

"And you're okay with it?" Ron asked a little apprehensive.

Harry gave him an exhausted glance. "Ron I have moved past what happened. We were young, we all said and did stupid things. I understand that Pansy was just scared and to save herself and anyone else she cared about she would have turned me over. I doubt she was the only one in that room who was thinking it, she just happened to be the only one who said it. I like Pansy, she has grown on me a lot in the past three years so don't worry about me."

Ron nodded and smiled slightly. Harry sighed again, he had been hiding so much from Ron for so long and he felt guilty about it. For a moment he thought that Ron's trepidation about his opinion would make him feel a little better but alas it did not.

"So, what are your plans for the day mate?" Ron asked, bringing Harry out of his thoughts.

"I think I might drop in and see Teddy and Andromeda," Harry made up something very quickly.

"Well, Mum wanted me to ask you over to the house for dinner tonight," Ron finished his tea and got to his feet.

Harry bit his lip not sure if he wanted to see Ginny, not sure if he could keep up his charade for much longer.

"I'll let you know," Harry promised.

Ron nodded, taking another biscuit for the road. "Cheers mate, maybe I'll see you later."

He raised his wand and apparated away, as soon as he was gone Harry put his head into his hands and let out a groan. After a moment or two he got to his feet and went to the Floo, shouting out Andromeda's address and walking through. When he stumbled into the living room he looked around but no one appeared to be there.

"Hello?" he called out, knowing that he hadn't given Andromeda a warning that he was coming, but still surprised that she wasn't there.

A moment or two later the older woman came around the corner, she smiled when she saw Harry. "I didn't expect to see you today. What a nice surprise, Teddy will be so happy."

"Sorry I didn't warn you," Harry brushed the soot off of his clothes. "I just made a last minute decision. Where is Teddy?"

"In the backyard," she answered, beckoning Harry to follow her. "You aren't the first unexpected visitor we've had today."

"Who else is here?" Harry wondered as he reached the backyard.

He saw a jet of dark blue followed by a jet of pale blond rush past him on brooms. Andromeda had finally given into Teddy's desire for a broom and Harry happily bought him one that was good for a five year old with all kinds of protection and safety spells but still would be fast enough for a growing young wizard. The two figures finally stopped moving and Harry was shocked to see none other than Draco Malfoy hovering in the air next to his godson.

"Uncle Harry!" the blue haired boy called out happily.

Harry waved at Teddy before turning back to the boys grandmother. "I didn't know you were on speaking terms with your nephew."

"I got an owl from him before he came back to England," Andromeda explained. "He told me there were some things of Narcissa's that he wanted me to have after….her death."

Harry frowned. He knew that the two Black sisters had not spoken since long before Tonks was born but that didn't mean the loss of her sibling hadn't hurt the older sister. Andromeda was the last Black and Harry knew that she would often get lonely.

"It was some things from when we were children, including a bunch of letters that Cissa wrote to me over the years but never sent, there was even one from a few days before she passed on. She apologized many times, she often spoke of missing me in the letters and she asked me to not transfer our issues with each other to Draco."

She paused for a moment or two. "He's the last family Teddy and I have, Harry. So I owled him back and we exchanged quite a few letters before I invited him to the house so he could bring me the things from my sister and meet Teddy."

Harry looked and saw the blond toss a practice snitch out and the young boy speed off after it. "Teddy seems to like him and if he likes Draco Malfoy how bad can he be."

He looked up to see Teddy hold up the snitch in triumph as Malfoy clapped from his broom. The two landed and Teddy went racing into his godfather's arms.

"Did you see me Uncle Harry?" he asked excitedly. "I caught the snitch!"

"You sure did," he laughed and knelt down next to him. "You are getting to be quite the flyer."

Draco walked smoothly up and stood in front of Harry. For a moment Harry let himself take in the taller man's appearance. He hadn't changed much from school, his hair was a few shades darker than Harry remembered but he was still all lithe muscles and harsh angles that somehow suited him perfectly.

Draco nodded, a small smirk playing at his lips. "Potter."

"Malfoy," he nodded back, not sure why that smirk made his stomach do a flip. "I was happy to hear you and Andromeda patched things up."

He shrugged. "Family is and always has been important to me. Sadly I can't stay much longer, my shift at St. Mungo's begins in about an hour."

"I heard you were working there," Harry continued, not wanting him to leave so quickly. "Enjoying being a healer?"

"I like being around the patients," he answered honestly. "An added bonus is the freelance potion work they have hired me to do for the hospital as well. I've been a big help to the Minister."

"Kingsley?" Harry wondered.

"He received a rather bad back injury during the war and it still gives him problems," the other man explained. "I make a salve for him that helps ease the pain. He is so grateful that he invited me to be his guest at the Hogwarts memorial this year."

Harry swallowed and tried to focus, knowing Malfoy would be there made Harry rethink that whole night. "Are you going to go?"

"If the Minister wants me to go I certainly will," Draco tried to keep his composure, not wanting anyone to know that he was nervous about going and facing the scrutiny of that crowd. "Well I suppose I had better get to work."

He turned to the blue haired young boy who had been watching the whole exchange. "I'll see you soon Teddy."

"Thanks for the game Draco," he smiled up at him. "Maybe next time if you and I team up we'll beat Uncle Harry."

Draco laughed. "If you keep practicing you won't need my help to beat him."

"Thank you Aunt Andromeda," he gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be over next week for tea again."

As Draco disappeared Harry mused aloud. "He seems different."


That Saturday night Harry was dressed in a Muggle suit and tie waiting for Ginny to show up. He was looking at himself in the mirror, making sure his hair was still behaving itself when he heard a knock at the door. He opened it and saw Ginny standing in front of him looking a little miffed.

"Something wrong Gin?" he asked.

"I just hoped that I would be introducing my family to Blaise tonight," Ginny huffed as she walked in the door. "I don't mean to push you, isn't there a way we can break up even if you're not ready to….come out?"

Harry looked at the young woman he had known for so long, who he loved as if she was family and he understood. It wasn't fair to make Ginny live like this just because he was scared, it wasn't fair to her or any of the other Weasley's who still thought they had a relationship.

He took one of her hands. "If that is what you want Gin then that is what we'll do. I know how happy you've been with Blaise and you deserve it after everything I've put you through. So you tell your family whatever you need to tell them and I'll worry about my explanations when the time comes."

She threw her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you so much Harry!" she sighed happily. "I just figured with Ron bringing Pansy tonight might be the best chance I would get."

"I understand," he told her honestly. "Now let's go and see if we both can come out of this night unscathed."

The two raised their wands and apparated into Hogsmeade where the Thestral drawn carriages were waiting to take the guests up to the castle. Harry helped Ginny into the nearest one and the two were off, neither of them said much as they rode. Harry was still fidgeting with his clothing and hair and Ginny was biting her lip trying to figure out exactly what she was going to say to her family.

When they got out at the entrance to the castle they saw Professor McGonagall there greeting everyone and to Harry's horror he saw members of the press mulling around taking pictures and trying to interview people.

"Harry, Ginny," he heard his old head of house call to them as they got out of the carriage.

"Hello Professor," Harry greeted her warmly, taking her hand.

"It's good to see you," Ginny greeted her as well.

"I didn't know the press was going to be here," Harry looked around, seeing the photographers snap shots of him and Ginny.

"The Minister wanted the fifth anniversary of the war covered for the Prophet," she told him. "The Ministry has donated a memorial for the school that is being reveled tonight."

She seemed to notice Harry's hesitation. "Try to ignore them and enjoy tonight. I'll see you inside."

Harry offered his arm to Ginny.

"Are you still alright with this Harry?" Ginny wondered as they made their way inside. "Neither of us were expecting the Prophet to be here. I can wait to do this at a more private time."

"No," he replied firmly. "I said I was going to do this for you and I am. You have been understanding, and accepting of me so this is the least I can do."

The pair walked in silence until the finally came to the Great Hall which was brimming with people. Every few feet Harry would be stopped by someone else who wanted to shake his hand or ask him how he was. After about twenty minutes he and Ginny finally made it over to the rest of the Weasley family and Hermione. Harry also saw Ron standing with Pansy who was talking with both Zabini and Malfoy. The dark haired man took a deep breath and willed himself to stay calm.

"Harry dear," Mrs. Weasley hugged him. "We were getting worried when you and Ginny didn't show up."

"We just had something we needed to talk about," Harry assured her.

The redheads all looked at them suspiciously and would have asked follow up questions but just then Professor McGonagall stepped up to the front of the room where a curtain was floating in midair and cast a sonorous charm so she could be heard.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she smiled at the guests. "Now that everyone has arrived it is my pleasure to introduce Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt who will reveal the memorial to the fallen."

The crowd clapped politely as Kingsley stood at the front of the room a glass of champagne in his hand.

"I'm very proud to be here tonight," he began in his usual deep powerful tone. "I am proud of what we have accomplished in five years. I know it hasn't been easy for many people, I know that hurts run deep but the people here tonight prove that we cannot let the past dictate our future. People are capable of growth and change and I look out on some of the faces that people might not understand seeing here and I know that all they want is to be able to move on and find their way in the world. I welcome anyone who is able to recognize their mistakes and want to learn from them and I encourage everyone else to do the same."

He raised his wand and with a flick the curtain hanging above his head disappears. Floating in midair were shimmering golden letters spelling out the names of all those who had been lost in the Battle of Hogwarts. Harry felt a twinge in his chest as his eyes scanned the names that hovered in front of the crowd. Sometimes it feels like yesterday that he was laughing with Fred about a prank, watching Tonks transform for the amusement of others, listening to Remus as he calmly lectured in class or even being stalked and photographed by Colin Creevey. He was glad that Kingsley had put Severus's name up as well but after the fight Harry had started to get the potion master's portrait hung in the Headmaster's office he wasn't too shocked.

Harry saw Kingsley raise his glass. "For those that gave their lives and the future we have been able to achieve because of them."

Everyone in the room raised their glasses and cried "Here, here" Harry took a very generous swig of his drink as he saw Ginny looking at him seriously. He knew that if he didn't get it over with soon he would lose his nerve. He nodded to her, wanting to make this announcement as quiet and personal as he possibly could, under the circumstances.

He cleared his throat and turned to the Weasley family. "I have something that I need to tell you all."

Blaise had edged closer to the group of redheads as if waiting for the moment he could properly introduce himself as Ginny's new beau. Harry looked at all of them and struggled not to run a hand through his hair as his usual way of calming himself. He opened and closed his mouth as if to speak several times before Ginny stepped up next to him.

"I know that everyone has been wondering when Harry and I would take our relationship to a more serious level," she began calmly. "I know that you all have seen Harry and I as the perfect couple for longer than I care to remember but sadly we have to tell you that we're not."

Mrs. Weasley waved her off. "No couple is perfect, what matters is that you keep working-"

"No Mrs. Weasley," Harry shook his head. "I'm sorry but Ginny and I are not going to work. I love Ginny but not the way she deserves."

The whole family began to whisper to each other

"Harry and I haven't been together for nearly a year," Ginny finally confessed.

"A year?" Hermione looked between the two of them as if she was amazed that the two of them hadn't broken down and told her anything in a year. "How could you keep this from us for a year?"

"I started dating someone else and I wasn't ready to tell you," Ginny huffed. "I knew you guys would want to interject and wouldn't listen to me or what I wanted. Harry-"

She hesitated, not wanting to tell what she had no right to. "Harry was nice enough to help me until I was ready to tell you."

"Well who are you dating Gin?" Arthur asked his daughter.

Ginny grabbed Blaise's hand and pulled him to her side. "I've been dating Blaise Zabini for about nine months and we're really happy."

"Zabini?" Ron couldn't believe it.

Pansy shot him a look and Ginny called him a hypocrite.

"But Ginny I don't understand," Mrs. Weasley looked hurt. "Why don't you and Harry just-"

It was then that Ginny lost all grip she had on her calm.

"Mum I am not sixteen years old anymore," she yelled, earning the attention of the whole Great Hall. "I am not besotted with Harry Potter anymore! I have grown up and I would appreciate it if my family could just get over it and then we can all just crack on!"

She turned on her heal and left, Blaise following after her. Pansy was trying to hide her giggles behind her hand and Malfoy was looking intently at Harry. Just as the dark haired boy was about to open his mouth to offer a more eloquent explanation the reporters and photographers who were there descended on him.

"Harry! Why did you and Ms. Weasley break up?"

"Did she cheat on you with Zabini?"

"Have you already found someone new Mr. Potter?"

Harry was trying to keep himself calm but the press always seemed to know just how to rile him up. The non-stop questions continued, they pressed him more and more not letting Harry even breathe let alone talk. They kept firing inquires at him until Harry couldn't take it any longer. He lost the very tight hold he had on his emotions and burst out.

"I'm Gay! That is why we broke up! I like blokes! Ginny Weasley is the perfect woman but I don't like women at all!"

Everything was so silent after Harry's admission that you would have been able to hear a house elf sneeze all the way in the kitchens. Harry took a few deep breaths before he realized what he had actually said and not just to the entire press corps of the Wizarding world but to everyone else at the celebration as well. Harry knew that more questions were going to be coming at him any moment so he turned and he fled. As he ran he tried to think of some of the places that he wouldn't be followed before finally deciding that going outside might be best. He found his way to the Quidditch pitch and climbed under the stands, sitting back and taking in a few more lungful's of air.

"I can't believe I just did that," he groaned lowering his face into his hands.

"Should have known you would be the kind of man to stumble out of the closet Potter," he heard a voice address him.

Harry got to his feet and looked at who it was.

"Malfoy," he sighed. "Still following me I see."

"As I recall you seemed to do an awful lot of following me as well," Draco reminded him.

Harry blushed, remembering exactly what the blond was talking about. "Someone had to figure out what kind of evil you're up to."

Draco chuckled. "No evil these days Potter, just trying to make my way like Kingsley said."

"What are you doing here Malfoy?" Harry wondered. "I'm not really up for company right now."

"I can imagine," he smirked as Harry climbed back out to face the former Slytherin. "Expected the Wizarding world to be alright with you taking it up the arse?"

"Fuck off Malfoy," Harry retorted as his cheeks colored. "Besides I heard you like it like that too."

Draco shrugged. "I'm a filthy Death Eater, no one much cares what I do."

"But don't you have some kind of ridiculous Pureblood standards to live up to, like carrying on the Malfoy name and all that rot?"

"Watch it Potter," he warned taking a step toward the other man. "My family name is none of your concern."

"Fine," Harry huffed. "Now can you please leave me alone?"

"Look all I came out to say is try not to let it bother you," he told Harry, his tone still flat. "The most freeing feeling was the day I realized that I don't have to live up to anyone's expectations of me anymore. I can be my own person and I don't have to give a damn what other people think. You despise The-Boy-Who-Lived treatment, I know you do, so why do you still let their opinions hold so much sway over you?"

"Because not everyone is the press," he countered. "Most of the people back there are my friends and some of them might as well be my family. Just because you don't have a family and most of your friends are in Azkaban doesn't mean that I want mine to think any differently of me."

Harry knew that he was being unfair, but Malfoy always knew just how to push his buttons and show up when Harry was feeling most vulnerable. He tried not to feel guilty for the look of shock, hurt and anger on the blond man's face.

"If I could give you some advice, just go back into the castle and leave me alone."

Draco sniffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Well I don't need advice from some Muggle hugger."

Harry looked at him incredulously stepping toward him. "If you had it your way there wouldn't be any Muggles left to hug!"

"Oh cry me a river," Draco spat.

"If I did you'd complain that it's not pure enough," Harry shot right back at him.

"You bleeding heart Gryffindor!"

"Slytherin puppet!"

"Do you want to kiss me as much as I want to kiss you?"

"I'm surprised someone as smart as you would have to ask!"

The two leapt and met in the middle their lips crashing onto each other's in a fury that had been building up since their Hogwarts days. Draco bit down on Harry's lip and he gasped allowing the other boy to invade his mouth with his slick and talented tongue. Harry gripped Draco's fine suit jacket in his hands, trying to get the other man even closer before letting his hands trail down to cup the blonds firm arse eliciting a moan from deep in his throat. After minutes of lips and teeth and tongues Draco broke away from Harry.

"I hate you," he insisted in almost a growl.

"I hate you more," Harry responded his voice an octave lower than it usually was.

Both young men took in a gasp of air before their mouths met in another heated battle for dominance. After a few more minutes of snogging while their hands lazily explored each other it was Harry who broke away this time.

"I'd better go," he told Draco sheepishly. "I don't think people could handle Harry Potter being gay and making out with Malfoy on the same night."

"You're probably right," the Slytherin gasped, righting his clothing and trying not to dwell on how flushed Harry's cheeks were and how swollen his lips had become from their activities.

Harry walked away but before he got too far he turned back. "Hey Draco."

The man in question turned when he heard his name fall from Harry Potter's lips, not prepared for how good it sounded.

"Yes Harry?"

The green eyed wizard smiled. "Let's do that again sometime?"

Draco smirked but felt the heat rise in his face. "In your dreams Potter."

Harry smirked right back at him. "Oh yes, and what lovely dreams they will be."

Draco watched him leave, still in awe at how his tanned skin seemed to have an otherworldly glow in the moonlight. He had delighted in the hard body his hands had felt under the clothing, and the way those green eyes had bored into him just the way they always had in school. Draco ran a hand through his hair and let out a sigh. He was so fucked.


So here is my first foray into Drarry. I'm really excited to tell this story because this plot has not stopped playing in my head. So keep following to see what happens next and if you liked it please let me know. Much love to all.