I mentioned in the first chapter that this would be two or three chapters long but I did some editing and it might be more… but no promises though. This chapter is slightly shorter than the first one but I needed to cut it right here, you'll get it when you reach the end…
Chapter 2; Going places
"Have you seen him?" I never get used to people barging in like that. Ever since I became head of the auror department, random people keep walking into my office with a problem, a gossip or just because they want to chat to the famous Harry Potter. It is definitely tiring sometimes.
Slowly I look up from a report I was writing about the latest arrest on some case that Dean Thomas had been working on. "Who should I've seen Hermione?"
Hermione was the worst of all of them, she comes in at least three times a day and then I don't include our lunch time together, but this is only when she's not traveling and to be honest, that isn't a lot. I love her to bits but she is a handful sometimes. "Draco Malfoy of course!" Her voice was a shriek and I finally laid down my quill.
"He's here?" My heartbeat picks up and I can feel sweat forming on my fore head, why does he affect me so much?
"Yes, rumor is going around that he's here to turn himself in."
Now I'm plainly confused. "Hermione, you're doing it again…"
"I'm not doing anything, what are you talking about?" She became defensive but she did tone down the volume of her voice slightly, which gave me the indication that she perfectly knew what I was talking about.
"Speak before you think, it's nothing like you, you've been hanging around with Ron too much." I can't help but chuckle, which earns me a glare. "Don't you think that if he's committed a crime, I would have heard before all of you, I am head auror after all."
Without answering she plunked down opposite my desk and started glaring at me. "Why have you never told me Harry?" This conversation just took a very radical turn and I knew immediately what she was talking about.
"I don't know Hermione, I didn't really figure it out until recently."
"Didn't you feel like you could trust me? You eventually did tell Ron so you must trust him more than you do me?" She sounded bitter and I only realized now that I must have hurt her feelings by only telling Ron. But to be fair, Ron is around way more often than she is and we aren't as close as we were in school.
"You didn't tell me either about your little sex triad but you don't hear me complaining. You're hardly ever here Hermione, and when you are, you're with Ron and apparently Luna, or you are at work. When should I have told you? During our lunch time, when everyone in the cafeteria could overhear us?" I was being harsh but I only spoke out the words that I had been holding in for a long time. "I miss you Hermione, I miss the old you and I'm sure I'm not the only one."
"I know," She sighed. "I've been trying to deal with my workload on top of my crazy love life and to be honest I've been dealing with quite the same problem that you are dealing with."
Her answer surprised me. "How so?"
"Well, you recently discovered that you're into men. I've had a pretty similar revelation, I like girls Harry… as well as men." She'd stopped looking at me and was fumbling with the hem of her skirt.
"You're bisexual?" I blurt out, not thinking clearly.
"I guess that's what you could call it, I've been doing research about it and I think that term comes as close as it gets. I feel ashamed and I really didn't want to hurt Ron with all of this, it's not that I'm not attracted to him anymore, merlin I love him to bits, but I'm also very attracted to Luna."
This explained perfectly why she hasn't acted jealous on the fact that Ron was with Luna whenever she was traveling, it was a perfect cover up for what she was really feeling. "You should tell him the truth 'Mione."
"I don't think he'll understand, you know how insecure he gets sometimes." She was still fumbling with her clothes.
I shook my head lightly. "You'd be surprised how understanding he can be sometimes. He's matured a lot and is far more accepting than we give him credit for. For example, look at how he reacted to my coming out. He told me that he already suspected it and that he doesn't give a crap, as long as I'm happy. I think I've also read and heard, on more than one occasion that orientation of sexuality isn't very important in the Wizarding World, I heard it can all be pretty wild sometimes."
She is just looking at me with big watery eyes and I can't help but laugh. "Hermione, do you really think Ron hasn't thought about the fact that you might be bisexual when you were the one to bring Luna into your bed, he's made it perfectly clear to me that he wasn't the only one doing Luna, to put it bluntly."
She did laugh with me at that and soon we were in giggles and holding our stomachs when a knock on the door disturbed our fun.
"Aren't you going to answer it?" Hermione nudged towards the door and I remained silent, one way or the other I perfectly knew who was on the other side of that door.
"Nobody knocks, everybody just barges in here." I state as a fact, but still remain seated. Am I ready to deal with him yet?
"You want me to open it?" She starts to get up and I nod insignificantly.
The time she took to get up, seemed to go by in slow motion and my thoughts were running absolutely wild. First of all I was still wondering what he was doing at the Ministry? Second of all I was wondering what the hell he was doing at my office?
I was panicking so profoundly that I missed the moment that he came in. Only when he was in front of my desk and Hermione was declaring her departure, I came back to the here and now. "Malfoy," I blurt out.
"Mr. Potter," He does a small courtesy and my shields go up double time. The day that Draco Malfoy is being polite towards me, probably is the day that Voldemort will return or something equally devastating.
"What do you want?" I glare at him rather rudely and I can see him wince. What the hell is going on?
"I wanted to see how you were doing after that incident two weeks ago." It sounded incredibly lame, especially coming from the bastard of bastards.
"Don't mistake me for a fool Malfoy, state why you're here or leave." My mouth wasn't entirely coordinating with my mind but I sure as hell didn't want him to think that he could walk all over me.
"I am being honest, I was being honest two weeks ago." He looked wounded and again I felt sympathy for the blond. What was going on? I was so far out of my comfort zone that I really didn't know how to act anymore.
"Okay, say that you're really sincere here, what is it that you want? Has it do with the fact that Mrs. Malfoy sold Malfoy Manor? Are you homeless and you can't get a place, what is it?" I am trying to read his expressions but he has never been a man who wears his feelings on his sleeve so I have nothing to go on.
He shifts on his feet and I'm thinking about offering him a chair when all of a sudden he starts to speak again. "Don't you hate how we left things?"
Okay, now we were getting somewhere. "Left things?"
"Yes, I know what you did during our trials, for me and mother, I know you spoke up on our behalf." Out of everything coming out of his mouth, this was the least of what I expected.
"Of course I spoke up on your behalf, it was your mother after all that made damn sure I made it till the end, even if it was only for her own benefit to see you again. And your part might have been small but I couldn't see you locked up because I know that you were pressured into almost everything, no matter how much of a little shit you used to be. You know Malfoy, despite of what you might think of me, I'm not the arrogant boy you've always made me out to be, I care about people and if something is unfair or downright unacceptable, I speak my mind. I know it normally doesn't always work like that but what your mother did, made all the difference, no matter what she has done in the past, everybody deserves a second chance."
"Then why can't you give me one?"
I blinked, and I blinked again. Damn, he was right. I keep advertising the fact that there is good in everyone but the only person who wants me to believe right now that there is good in him, I refuse to believe.
The vision of Hermione slapping Ron on the back of his head when he has done something stupid, pops into my mind. Malfoy's words had felt exactly like that.
"You're right." That's all I get out of my mouth and I don't know what to say next. He's right in telling me off but it's still Malfoy and I don't want him to get cocky again. Argh I keep doing it.
Malfoy laughs without joy at my words and sighs deeply. "I can see that you're thinking about it but you're not entirely convinced. Give me a chance to make sure that I mean it Potter."
"You can start by calling me Harry." I blurt out and regret it immediately.
"Only if you call me Draco, Harry." He was obviously testing it out and it sounded more than weird coming from his mouth. I met his grey eyes and we both choked out an awkward laugh. "Never mind, keep calling me Malfoy, Potter."
I nodded in agreement and was waiting for him to leave, he made me fifty types of uncomfortable and I needed to think about this. Despite him seemingly being sincere, I still had a few doubts and they were magnified by his presence tenfold.
This time around, Malfoy was wearing robes instead of tight clothing but it didn't help my imagination at all. I could still see how his shirt had hugged his biceps and his pants had been just a little too tight in the lower region. His hair was a little different since Hogwarts as well, he always had it slicked back which gave him that vindictive look, but now it was a tad bit longer and probably deliberately disorganized, it looked sexy as hell.
I was disturbed out of my daydream when the real object started talking again. "Why don't you give me that chance by going to the leaky caldron with me tonight?"
And rent a room? Was a thought that popped into my head and I shook it immediately to get rid of the images, no point in getting a hard on right now. "For what?"
"For drinks of course, isn't that what you and Weasley do after work or any other co-workers?" Malfoy seemed all innocent but I saw the glint in his eyes, that glint he always had when he was lying or up to something. But just as fast as I saw it, it disappeared and I start to doubt if I've really seen it.
"Yeah sure, sometimes, but definitely not every day." Maybe he didn't have to work every day like normal people but I do. Well to be honest I don't have to, but I don't like sitting on my arse and doing nothing all day.
"Okay it's settled then, I'll meet you there at say eight?" I nod dumbfounded by his dominance and see him walking out of my office. One way or another I have absolutely no clue what exactly just happened.
I'm nervous, really nervous, way more nervous than I was for my first date with Troy. And this wasn't even supposed to be a date! At least this time I had been thinking clearly and I had not let him pick me up.
I berated myself again, this is not – I repeat, not! – A date.
When I arrived at the leaky caldron, I suspected that I was set up. Malfoy was nowhere in sight and my anger was already starting to boil. It amazed me every time how easily Malfoy could provoke me. I decided not to let him get the better of me and sat down at a corner booth in the back. From my new spot I could easily see who walked through the door and who would leave.
The pub isn't particularly busy for a Wednesday night but there are enough people I recognize from work or from Hogwarts and I was already regretting not meeting with Malfoy in a less public place. This could go wrong either way. If Malfoy really didn't show I would look like a fool, drinking all alone on a week day and if Malfoy did show, we would be the talk of the Wizarding World tomorrow. I really haven't thought about the consequences. Maybe I should leave, pretend that I was called away or something.
Just when I was halfway down the pub, Malfoy walked through the door and I cursed out loud. Now I looked even more of a fool then I already did. Thanks a lot Malfoy!
"Potter, going somewhere?" Malfoy's voice was sharp as always and it seemed to turn every head in the near distance.
"I was just on my way out Malfoy, I had an appointment but it got cancelled." I didn't wait for him to answer back, I just turned around and leaped through the door. Nobody would make a fool out of me anymore, especially not ferret-boy, no matter how good he looked.
Before I could round the corner towards the apparition point, I was grabbed by the shoulder roughly. Damn Malfoy and his stalking tendencies. The irony wasn't lost on me when I used to be the one stalking him at Hogwarts, especially during our sixth year.
"Wait Potter, I have an explanation." Malfoy had taken a hold on my jacket and he was definitely stronger than he appeared.
"Let go of me, Malfoy." I spat at him trying to wrench myself to freedom. "I don't want to hear your sorry excuse for not showing up. I gave you a chance and you blew it."
Malfoy's grip stayed on me and I could feel the heat of his hands burning on my shoulder. "Don't be dramatic, I was just a little late, I told you that I have a solid reason for it."
"A little late is five or ten minutes, not an entire hour, I don't even know why I waited this long," Because I'm weak and pathetic and totally attracted to the bastard.
Right at that moment Malfoy tried to keep his grip and stretched his fingers a little bit, just enough for me to pull myself away and free from his grip. I am an auror for merlin's sake, I could take him with little effort any day, the problem was that I didn't want to hurt him, even after he stood me up.
"For fucks sake." I heard Malfoy curse when I walked away from him, not running but walking fast enough to put a decent amount of distance between us.
"Just wait Potter!" He yelled after me and I hesitated for a mere second but it was enough to let Malfoy reach me again.
This time he grabbed my wrist instead of my shoulder and when he pulled, I was gravitated towards him like a bouncy ball. "Ouch," I whined.
It was just a millisecond later that I noticed that I was face to face with the man I spend half a decade hating with all I've got. I think this is the closest I've ever been to him, save for that time during the final battle in the room of requirement, but he had been behind me on that broom, not inches away from my lips.
"Ouch," I whine again just to emphasize the fact that what he had done, was totally unnecessary.
"Stop making drama Potter." His hand tightened on my wrist even more, if that was even possible and his eyes were deep pools of grey when he scowled at me in the most Malfoy way possible. "You are going to stop the nagging and listen to me."
It is a good thing I'm so angry at him because if I hadn't been, I sure as hell would have been so turned on I wouldn't be able to think straight, let alone utter a word, being so close to him. It isn't just his hand that is touching my arm, it is his right foot, standing between my legs as well. Our upper bodies are almost flat against each other and I can feel his breath on my lips. It is warm and smells like apple and something else I can't place. All I know is that it is intoxicating.
"I was going to apologize for me being late but since you want to behave as a petulant child, I'm not going to. What I am going to do is explain why I was late and you're going to listen." I roll my eyes but I do keep quiet, no matter how annoyed I am, I'm still curious why he was late.
I cock my head to the side to nudge him to go on. "I was being late because the baby wouldn't go to sleep, he is teething and I needed to make sure he was okay before I could go. Knowing you Potter, I'm sure you agree with my choice of action tonight. And it's not as if I didn't show up at all, I'm here am I not?"
The baby? What the hell was he going on about? Did he become a father in the past year, it is possible, nobody has heard from him for ages but a baby is something that isn't easily hidden, and what about a wife, what about the mother of the child?
The thought of him definitely not being gay was the one that hit the hardest. Disappointment washed over me like an ice cold blanket.
"The baby?" I mutter, more to myself than to Malfoy.
"Yes Potter, the baby, little Theo demands a lot of attention." Malfoy still had me in a dead grip, which was a good thing right now because I felt like fainting.
"Theo? You named your child after Theodore Nott?" Was he really that much of an idiot. Or am I the idiot and is he married to Theodore's sister or something? Does Theo even have a sister? I'm proper confused.
"Of course I didn't name my child after Theodore Nott you cunt. Little Theo isn't mine!"
"Then whose is it?" I was sort of yelling now and I didn't even know why. It isn't Malfoy's child, I should be happy. Malfoy was grabbing me tighter if that was even possible.
"You're even more stupid than you look, it is Theo's child of course you…" He didn't finish the sentence because I did the first thing that came to me and I would think later about how stupid the move was but I just couldn't help myself, I needed to shut him up.
I kissed him.
Okay, I know, I'm evil… See you in the next chapter…
