And All Over Again - PART 2
Story Details: Post Deathly Hallows, epilogue compliant, WIP, eventual Harry/Draco slash
A/N: Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed part one, and to those who signed up for alerts or added the story to their favourites. I hope I won't disappoint!
Comments and concrit welcome and appreciated!
The next morning Harry rose early, having been able to sleep little the night before. He felt like he was eleven years old again and coming to Hogwarts for the first time. He wondered briefly if Ginny was trying to rouse Lily and the boys yet, or if she was allowing them another hour or two of sleep.
A closer inspection of his rooms in the daylight revealed them to be just as comfortable as he'd believed on first look. The bedroom was decorated in greens and creams, whilst the main area of the rooms which included the living room, a small kitchen, dining room and study-like-area, was just a welcoming. The bathroom was tiled in green with a warm fluffy carpet on the floor, which from his shower this morning Harry was sure was charmed to stay dry and warm.
Harry wandered over to the kitchen area and found various items of cutlery, but little food. Evidently most professors usually chose to dine in the Great Hall with the rest of the school. Glancing at the clock Harry decided it was now late enough to walk down to the Great Hall himself.
As he walked down the corridor that led to the staircase down from the eastern tower voices echoed down the passage towards him.
"So there's going to be four of them here now," a voice said with disdain. "Fantasic."
"Oh hush, Malfoy. Some of us were none too pleased when we learned we'd be dealing with the arrival of both you and your son last year, but we dealt with it," Neville's voice responding, teasing evident in his tone.
"Stow it Longbottom, if McGonagal hadn't come to me on her hands and knees you'd be rid of me this year as well. So if you've got a bone to pick, go to her," Draco Malfoy answered.
"Oh so that's why you're back is it?" Harry asked as he walked round the corner and towards where they were standing at the top of the stairs. "The Headmistress couldn't find anyone else."
Malfoy glared at him. "Overdressed again, Potter?" he asked sardonically, running an eye over Harry. Harry looked down at his jeans and button-up-shirt and back at Malfoy again.
"Shut it Malfoy, I'll wear robes when the students arrive," Harry snapped.
"Why bother? You are the Muggle Studies professor after all," Malfoy responded.
"Yes, well. It would have been Defense Against the Dark Arts, but McGonagal turned me down for that position for similar reasons as she did you I'd expect," Harry responded with an ironic twist to his lips.
Malfoy's face displayed shock for a brief second before it was replace with cool indifference and he swept down the stairs before them.
Neville glanced from Harry to Malfoy's retreating back and back again.
"Well that went well," Harry said with a self-depreciating smile. "Come on Neville, breakfast awaits," he said and led the way down the staircase and towards the Great Hall.
When the entered the hall, there was just one table in the room, the teachers were seated all round it. Neville took a seat next to Professor Flitwick, and Harry took the one on his other side. This seated them opposite Oliver Wood, who had become the Hogwarts Quidditch Coach after sustaining a serious injury several years after the war which left him unable to play for a professional team.
He was currently probing Malfoy with questions Harry hoped would not soon be aimed at him also.
"But surely she'll miss you?" Wood wheedled.
"Of course she will, as would anyone," Malfoy replied with a quirk of his lips that was almost a smile. "I for one don't know how any of you lasted the summer," he added.
"Oh it was a trial indeed," Flitwick commented. Harry snorted his amusement. Malfoy looked up at him and narrowed his eyes.
"Why don't you ask Potter why he's abandoned his wife to teach when they finally have their little nest all to themselves?" he said pointedly.
Harry looked down at his plate as several pairs of eyes came to rest upon him. His knuckles whitened at his tight grip on his fork as he pictured taking out Malfoy's eyes with it.
"Ginny's gone away to college," Neville said. "It's not the second year in a row that they've lived apart," he added.
"Hmm, my wife didn't abscond to Egypt though," Malfoy said as he took a sip of his coffee, eyes glinting malevolently over the rim of the cup at Harry.
Harry chewed resolutely on his mouthful of bacon and didn't respond.
Once Professor McGonagal had finished the staff meeting after lunch, several of the professors retired to the staff room.
"Not joining us Draco?" Oliver asked. Draco sneered in Harry's direction and stalked off back towards the east tower.
The room was much the same as the last time Harry had seen it all those years ago in a Defence lesson with Remus Lupin as his teacher. Harry looked over the notice board, and eyed the roster for Hogsmeade supervision. His name wasn't down until the first week of December, it sat side by side with that of Draco Malfoy.
"Who sorts out the roster?" Harry asked as he threw himself into a comfortable chair next to Oliver.
"McGonagal," he answered. "But she'll usually work it round to suite us, why are you down for an inconvenient day?"
"No just with an inconvenient person," Harry answered. "So do you really not know why Draco and his wife seem so comfortable with spending thirty nine weeks of the year apart?" Harry asked, feeling safer enquiring now that Neville had defended his separation from his wife.
"Same as all purebloods isn't it? Arranged marriage," Wood shrugged. "They usually make more of an effort at making the marriage more ligit though. Maybe they really detest each other," he suggested.
"I didn't think it was an arranged marriage," Harry said frowning, remembering Hermione commenting at the time that it was lucky for Draco that his girlfriend was a pureblood, meaning he was allowed to marry her if he chose to.
"Not strictly, but his mother introduced them," Oliver told him. "And I think she was pushing for him to settle down as well."
"How do you know all this?" Harry asked.
"Ply him with a bit of good quality liquor and Draco Malfoy could talk for England," Oliver laughed. Harry offered him a smile and stored that piece of information carefully away.