Chapter Four

"Potter! POTTER!"

Harry woke with a start. He had fallen asleep on his couch in his clothes from yesterday. Migel had left for work in the early hours of the morning. "Oh gods," Harry groaned and his stomach lurched as the familiarity of the voice came to him.

"Scourgify," Harry had withdrawn his wand from his trousers and pointed it at himself, hoping to generally mask the smell of his sweat from sleep. He patted down his unruly hair, counted to ten and went to open the door.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry asked guardedly. Perhaps he wanted to hex him for sending him the phone. Or maybe tease him about Migel. Harry had no idea but he knew it couldn't be a good thing that he was there.

"It was not me Harry, I swear it. I would never betray somebody's secret like that."

Harry blinked a few times. "What the devil are you talking about, Malfoy?"

Draco shifted uncomfortably on his feet, he appeared agitated. He held up a hand revealing a cup of coffee with a familiar label on it. Harry's eyes went wide. "You didn't go into the coffee shop downstairs, did you?"

"I wanted to repay you," Draco said as he held out the coffee through the barely ajar door.

Harry considered it for a moment before finally allowing Draco in, stepping back as he did towards his bedroom. "I need to get changed. You can make yourself comfortable."

'Bloody Malfoy. What is he doing here, anyway? Migel definitely saw him, too, what's he going to think about this?'

When Harry returned Draco had barely moved from the doorway as he looked around the small flat. He extended the coffee again and Harry took it suspiciously. "What were you talking about; what hadn't you done?"

Draco retrieved from underneath his elbow that mornings Daily Prophet. "The Boy Who Lived To Be Gay. Tch. You'd think they could come up with clever headlines," Harry muttered, not paying the paper any more mind than that.

"Like I said before I would not betray a secret like that."

"I took Migel to Diagon Alley yesterday," Harry sighed. "We were bombarded, which I knew was going to happen but I took your advice on letting him in. I knew I should never take the advice of a Malfoy," Harry mumbled.

Draco's eyes narrowed. "What I said still stands to be good advice, Potter. If there's a chance that he loves you and for you to be happy then by all means take the necessary risks. What does it matter now that everybody knows? Is it really such a big deal?"

Harry eyed him carefully. He didn't seem to care as much as he thought he would. "Being gay isn't a big deal, no. Being the Boy Who Lived and gay is a huge deal. They won't leave me bloody well alone for weeks, I can just see it now. They'll parade around the Ministry, dozens of reporters, screaming at me every second they get and when I don't give them anything they will write garbage instead."

"Everybody knows the Daily Prophet is just a tabloid, is that really what you care about? Or maybe it's about having a muggle for a boyfriend?" Draco countered coolly.

Harry was quick to respond, he withdrew his wand and pointed it at Draco's chest. The blond peered down at it, raising his eyebrow before looking back up at Harry exasperatedly. "I knew it. I knew you never changed."

Draco pushed Harry's wand off his chest with his free hand and finally walked into the apartment and over to the couch still surveying his surroundings carefully. "I practically have a muggle living with me the way Sadie comes around. I have nothing against muggle's. I am merely stating that maybe you should reconsider what has gotten you so wound up about people finding out about your orientation?"

Harry turned red. He didn't like the way reason sounded coming from Malfoy. He huffed and sat down on the opposite arm of the couch. "What are you doing here Malfoy?"

"Like I said, returning the favour and ensuring that you knew I had no malicious intent as per the release of such sensitive information."

"I thought you'd wanna kill me after yesterday," Harry mumbled.

"I considered it. Blaise still wants to and I just might let him. Why did you not respond to me last night?" Draco asked softly. He had been slightly offended, his phone in hand all night, when no response was given.

Harry's eyes went wide. "Respond to you…you messaged me?" he asked in disbelief. Draco merely inclined his head. "Accio phone," Harry called. A few moments went by before it came flying out of his bedroom and landed in his waiting hand. He turned it on. "I had it off all last night. Migel and I…" Harry stopped himself as he read the Snapchat. His mouth curled up into a smile.

Draco was watching him from the corner of his eye. His breath caught when he saw that smile creep up on his lips. "They were being pretty inconsiderate in regards to the armchair," Harry muttered.

Draco found himself grinning at the response. "How about in regards to the sanctuary of my home? The sanctity of my vision?" Draco stressed playfully.

Harry laughed. "Right after 'Mione and Ron got married they were like that everywhere we went."

"Harry, please refrain from putting images in my head of the Weasel and Granger," Draco shivered.

"It's Weasley now, not Granger,'' Harry corrected.

"She will always be Granger to me."

Harry cocked his head, "Really? I thought she would always be mudblood to you?"

Draco sighed. "Are we going to keep coming back to that?"

"Sorry it's just hard to believe, s'all. You used to be a complete ass," Harry muttered.

"And you used to be an annoying ponce which just proved to be true," Draco lightly snapped back.

Harry rolled his eyes. 'As if Malfoy came all the way here just to ensure that I knew he hadn't gone blabbing about what he had seen the other night. As if he brought me coffee.' Harry shook his head, he was truly astounded.

"Have you, Harry?"

"Hmm? Have I what?"

Draco dramatically sighed. "Have you seen Lord of the Rings? You never answered me."

"Oh." Harry was surprised. Was Malfoy actually attempting conversation now? Not about work, not about what had happened yesterday or Friday or about how Harry had sent him the phone but actual conversation? "I've seen the first one…" Harry said slowly.

Draco suddenly beamed at his response. "Just the first one? And here I thought you were raised by muggle's, Harry."

Harry flushed and shrugged. "I've been sort of busy since I got out of school, Malfoy-"

"It's Draco."

Harry looked over at him and turned a light shade of pink. He felt suddenly nervous and he couldn't place why. Malfoy, or Draco rather, seemed so calm and collected over on his side of the sofa, slowly sipping his coffee as he watched Harry under piercing, inquiring grey eyes.

"Er, right," Harry nodded, "Draco."

XXXX

Harry heard the familiar sound of Migel's keys drop onto his living room table. He sighed but didn't make a move to go and greet him. Draco had left a little over an hour ago, thankfully skirting his boyfriend. Migel made his way into the small, cozy study and collapsed on the armchair across from Harry.

"He was here," Migel stated.

"Draco? Yeah, he was," Harry said shortly. He could feel the ripple of jealousy thicken in the air without even looking up at Migel.

"Why?"

Harry looked up over his scrapbook, raising his eyebrows. "I don't particularly see how that's any of your business," he said lowly before returning back to his book.

Migel had a sharp, unsteady intake of breath as his hands gripped the sides of his chair. "It is my business when a random, gorgeous man comes to spend hours with my boyfriend."

"You're the one who insists he's gorgeous, are you sure it's not me who should be jealous?" Harry drawled. He really didn't have the energy to care at the moment, his mind was too wrapped in memories that his eyes and fingers ran over.

"I'm trying really hard here Harry, not to be angry with you," he seethed.

Harry sighed, closing his book and putting it on his lap. "Draco was just over ensuring that I didn't blame him for the papers today. Then we got to talking about work so he ended up staying awhile, that's all. Sorry, but I've had a bit of a day."

"You've had a bit of a day? Are you kidding me? I just find out my boyfriend is…is…" Migel stammered at a loss for words to explain everything he just learned about Harry the night before.

"Is what?" Harry asked sharply. He stood up abruptly and began pacing the room. Even Migel's presence was putting him on edge. "C'mon, tell me, what am I?"

Migel looked ashamedly down at his hands on the sides of the chair. "You know what I mean," he muttered. "It's a lot to take in. What's been so difficult for you?"

Harry laughed coldly. "I don't know, coming out to everybody I've ever known as gay for the first time. Having it be made a public affair and splashed right across the front page of every bloody wizarding newspaper. Having a work colleague and old school mate come over to return a favour and apologize for the paper this morning and my boyfriend not being home five minutes and he's already jumping down my throat accusing me of cheating on him!"

Migel took a steadying breath. Harry was impressed to say the least, usually at this point they'd both be shouting at each other. "Were you really on the front page?"

"Always bloody am. Take a look for yourself." Harry picked up the book he had left on his chair and tossed it at Migel who didn't react in time to catch it. He bent over to pick it up as Harry chuckled again to himself, still pacing and trying to keep his temper down, "You would have never made a good Seeker," he mumbled to himself.

Migel ignored his comment and flipped through the book. It was all old newspaper clippings Harry had collected. A lot were about him, some about Hogwarts, Dumbledore, the Order, Voldemort and quite a few about the Malfoys. He finally got to the newly added one at the back and quickly skimmed it with wide eyes. "The Boy Who Lived to Be Gay? They really aren't all that original are they?"

Harry laughed tightly. "Not at all. I'm just glad they've shortened the name again, I got sick of The Boy Who Lived Twice rather fast."

Migel was frowning deeply as he went back to look through the book more thoroughly. "If he's just a colleague now, why do you have this?"

Harry rolled his eyes and heaved a heavy sigh as he peered over Migel's shoulder at the article in question. It was from the events that followed the Department of Mysteries, when Lucius was arrested, the picture perfect family looking solemnly at the flashing lights, Draco looked older then than he even did now. "Migel, I seriously can't take much more of this, it's ridiculous."

"I'm trying here but this Draco Malfoy guy, you two have a lot of history."

"A lot of history of hating each other. Did I ever mention his father tried to have Ginny, Ron's sister, killed? I kept that bloody article because of Lucius, not Draco, because I was so bloody happy that bastard finally got what he deserved." Harry finally sat back down, leaning warily back into the chair as he did and finally chancing a full look at Migel. He seemed tired, disheveled and disgruntled all at once.

Migel slowly shook his head. "After everything you've told me, why would you work with him? Why would you be friendly if there wasn't-"

"Merlin's beard, Migel! Stop it!" Harry shouted at last. His voice rang through the room leaving a deafening silence that followed. Migel looked torn between anger and embarrassment.

"Harry," Migel said softly after a few minutes. "I came here to say that I'm okay with everything you told me. I really am. I'm okay with who you are. It's a bit much but I can deal with it. I just may need to take this whole introduction into your world a little slower."

Harry sighed, rolling his eyes and before he could respond his phone went off with a familiar vibrate. He was quick to pull it out and check it. It was a picture of the armchair back in its usual spot. 'Do you think it is safe enough to sit in?' Even in the tense situation with Migel Harry's lips twitched up into a small smirk. Migel was gaping at him but he didn't seem to notice.

'I dunno. It was Blaise, after all. Are you sure you can't just burn it?'

"Who is it?"

Harry frowned. "Hermione, Ron's had too much Firewhiskey again," he lied, he didn't want Migel to jump any further down his throat to investigate.

Migel sighed and nodded, convinced. "All I want, Harry, is for us to go back to what we were doing before. Let's go out again with the guys next week? Maybe even Ron and Hermione can come, too?"

Harry nodded briefly. "Fine. Whatever you want," he mumbled as the response from Draco came. 'But it's such an exquisite chair.' Harry smirked again, he could almost hear Draco whine through the text. A few seconds went by and there was another. 'You have a nice flat, Potter.'

'Haha. Don't lie, I can tell you hated it. Probably not fancy enough for you.'

'You got me. It was nice to talk to you today anyway.'

Harry paused. He could hear Migel moving again, probably putting his scrapbook back on its shelf as he looked at the moving pictures he had become accustomed to. 'You too, Draco. See you at work.'

"…and then maybe the next time after that you could show me how you play that Quibble game," Migel finished. Apparently he had been talking but Harry had tuned him out, too enraptured in Draco's simple texts.

"Yeah. Quidditch. Sure. We can play a round at the Burrow, if you'd like."

"Could I try?" Migel asked hopefully.

Harry shook his head. "Brooms won't respond to Muggle's. You can score keep, though."

"Probably for the better, I'd probably fall on my arse."

"Most do. It's getting late, I really have to get ready for work in the morning."

"Can I go there sometime, too?"

"Why not," Harry sighed, striding out from the room.

"Do you want me to stay or go?" Migel asked softly, following Harry.

"It's really late…" Harry reiterated. Migel nodded, disappointment falling across his face.

Once Migel had gone Harry lay wide awake in bed. He wasn't quite nervous about work, what others would say seeing him after reading the article. No, he was nervous about a certain blond coming to spend all day in his office instead.

XXXX

It was half past nine. Harry thought his nerves would explode.

Himself and Malfoy had gotten on pretty well. He even didn't seem to mind that he was gay, dating a muggle bloke. But now, for the first time ever, he was late. Harry sat leaning back in his chair and took out his phone. 'You okay? Where are you?'

'Coming.' Came the quick and short reply.

Harry quickly made himself look busy, as if he had been doing some of the paperwork he knew he should have been waiting for Draco. Only a few moments later Draco burst through the door, his breath heavy. His tie was lopsided, his hair not perfectly parted as it usually was and his cheeks were flushed pink. "What happened?" Harry asked quickly.

Draco scowled. "Fucking Blaise," he swore. "He's been working with nocturnal plants this week and so when he got home from work he shut off all my alarms. The bastard." Draco collapsed into his usual chair.

Harry couldn't help but grin. Blaise really did like getting one over on Malfoy. "Let me guess, you have resorted to using your phone for alarms? One muggle gift and Draco Malfoy forgets he's a wizard," Harry teased.

Draco picked up the nearest thing to him, a small file folder, and tossed it in Harry's general direction. Harry dodged it quickly, laughing mirthfully. "Using the phone is simpler," he mumbled defensively.

"Why don't you just put your own lock combination on it so Zabini can't get in?" Harry suggested and with the blank look he received he realized Draco hadn't quite figured out all there was to that phone yet. "Here, pass it," Harry held out his hand.

Draco stood up and walked over behind Harry, giving him his phone as he did, he peered over his shoulder and watched closely. Harry felt nervous again. Draco was looming over him. Even though he was disheveled that day Harry could smell the strong scent of his perfumed shampoo wafting off of him and he noticed Draco placed his one hand on the arm of Harry's chair. Harry watched it from the corner of his eye; the slender fingers curled around the wood, he wore a signet Malfoy ring on the index finger. Harry swallowed heavily, through the black reflection of the phone he could see some strands of Draco's hair fall around his face and he had a sudden urge to turn around and push them back.

"Potter?" Draco breathed, "Are you going to show me or not?"

Harry snapped out of it and quickly fumbled to slide open the phone. When he was finished showing Draco how to change the lock password he was relieved and able to breathe when his colleague sat back down in his seat. "Come on then, we have lost enough time as it is. I hope that by next year my visit here will only take an hour every week instead of eight," Draco drawled as he started out where he had left off last Monday.

It had only been a few Monday's spending it with Draco but the sudden thought of him no longer being kept up with him in his office for hours at a time, even in strained silence, displeased Harry.

A little after lunch they were sitting in silence on their third cup of coffee. "If I see 'I swear I saw the Dark Mark in the sky!' statement one more time I am going to burn the rest of these witness statements," Harry grumbled as Draco laughed lightly. Harry was always surprised when he laughed. It was low, barely audible, but such an honest laugh. His phone went off and at first he was confused. If Draco was here, who would be texting him?

Harry slowly took his phone out and his eyes went wide at the text. 'Labour. St Mungo's. Now please' were the only words Hermione messaged him. Ron flew in through his office door just at the moment, pale as a ghost.

"For Salazar's sake, Weasel! Give people a little bloody warning, would you!" Draco hissed as he had jumped from the sudden intrusion and dropped the stack of papers he had been working on.

"Hermione, she's…" Ron went even whiter still.

Harry nodded quickly standing up and grabbing his cloak, throwing it hastily on. "In labour," he supplied for him. "C'mon, let's Floo home and grab her bag and I can Firecall your Mom from the hospital." Harry began to lead Ron out of the room, the redhead shaking as he walked. Draco watched with slight amusement as he could practically see Ron fall apart at the seams.

"I guess we will have to leave this till next Monday, Potter," Draco said as he began to pack things away.

Harry looked over his shoulder quickly and shook his head. "I know how anal you can be when you leave things unfinished. Keep going, Malfoy."

"Without you?" Draco asked with surprise. "But, nobody is allowed to be alone with classified-"

"I trust you."

The quick response caught Draco off guard but it was too late for him to say anything in return, Harry had already gone down the hall and was leading Ron towards the exit. Harry's words rang in Draco's ears and he felt a small triumph in them. "Good," he thought smugly as he changed seats into Harry's own and continued to work.