Author's Notes: Weasley's return with a flashback to the past. Keep reading for more.

Hello - Normal Text

"Hello" - Speech

Hello - Dream or Flashback

'hello' - Thoughts

$hello$ - Parseltongue

Chapter 3

Harry glanced around the Leaky Cauldron nervously before returning his attention to the plate of roast dinner in front of him, still weary of his surroundings. He heard the clear of a throat and looked up to where Draco was staring at him across the table, he looked the epitome of elegance, even when eating mashed potatoes with a spoon.

The blond had given his parents another excuse to get himself out of the house to visit Diagon Alley where his husband/not-husband had been staying for the last few weeks. Today it was the 31st of August, meaning they only had a day left till they'd be on the Hogwarts Express going back to school for the first time in any years.

"Yes?" Harry asked expectantly.

"Is there a reason you keep looking at the door every 10 seconds". Harry scowled and stabbed his beef a bit too hard.

"Last time, after I blew up my Aunt, Fudge was already waiting here for me when I got here. This time, nothing. I performed underaged magic, in front of a muggle. Don't forget the fact that I practically burnt her to a crisp, that's permanent damage, aggravated assault. I could go to Azkaban! But I don't see any Aurors or Hitwizards. It's like they don't even know", he looked around warily again.

Draco raised his eyebrow, "Maybe they actually don't know..."

Harry snorted, "Oh please. In my second year they picked up a levitation charm and it wasn't even me doing it!"

"Yes well back then, the magic sensors at the ministry would've traced that there was an underaged wizard in the house and there was magic being performed without a magical adult", he took a sip of his juice, "this time, they know there's a magical child in the house, but if they were to run the magical sensors on the spell performed, it would clearly show it came from an adult."

A look of realisation came over Harry's face, "My magic is still 26, even if my body isn't."

Draco nodded smiling, "Whatever spell bought us here, it removed the soul and magic of our younger selves and replaced it with that of older selves. Which is why we don't need to worry about the Horcrux this time, that part of your soul has already been vanished to some kind of metaphysical realm. We can't see it and it doesn't affect us at all anymore. It can't act as an anchor if it has nothing to anchor itself to."

Harry nodded to himself slowly, "I always wondered why I could still speak Parseltongue even after Voldemort died and the Horcrux was gone".

Draco shrugged, "The second you first spoke it, it became a part of your magic, Parseltongue is a magical language and it needs to tie itself to your core to be able to speak it. Once the ability merged with your core, it became as much a part of you as it was a part of him".

"I didn't know that", Harry frowned.

"I did some research with the Unspeakables. It's one of the reasons why Parseltongue spells will always be more powerful than those in any other language. It's a primal language, connected straight to the core of magic itself with nothing to channel or get in between it. It's pure, undiluted power."

"Well that makes me feel a lot better about having to defeat Voldemort...again...".

Draco leant back and crossed his arms, "This time we have a distinct advantage. We're smarter and more powerful than before and we have knowledge of every single one of his moves from here to the battle of Hogwarts. The only thing we need to decide is the cut of point."

"Cut off point?"

Draco smirked, "When do we bring down the hammer. If we know all of his actions, we can stop all of his raids and save loads of people. But if he knows somebody keeps on stopping his every move, he'll start changing his tactics and all of our extra knowledge will be useless. We need to decide which things we can afford to change and when so that we can keep things on a certain course. If you think about it, the earliest we can defeat him is about sixth year."

Harry scowled, "Sixth year? Thats a long way away".

Draco took on a contemplative look then stared at Harry as if assessing him, "Harry. We have to let Pettigrew get away".

Harry's face took on an angry expressions, the fury practically radiating from him, "Fuck off. No".

Draco shook his head, "There are very few truly significant things that happen this year except from Sirius nearly losing his life and Pettigrew escaping. One the rat gets away, he goes off to Voldemort and gets him resurrected. That has to happen, you can't kill somebody that's not alive."

Harry frowned, "So that goblet of fire?"

"Still has to happen. Except this time, Cedric Diggory isn't going to die".

Harry let out a sigh of relief that he'd been holding in since the start of the conversation, "Sirius?"

Draco sat in silence for a few minutes then look up, "Fifth year and Umbridge has to happen. Voldemort laid low that year because nobody believed he was back so we have to make sure that happens again otherwise he'll start launching raids left right and centre. You have to go to the ministry, the prophecy has to be smashed and everybody has to see that he's back at that point. But Sirius will be nowhere near that veil, that's settled. If we have to cover him in the invisibility cloak and stick him to a wall then so be it. You aren't losing your Godfather again."

Harry smiled at him happily from across the table and grasped his hand in his own, "Thank you".

"I don't want to see you suffer Leo, not again".

They sat in an amiable silence for a while, just holding each others hands and finishing their lunch in the far corner of the Leaky Cauldron where it was darkest and most discrete. Thank god nobody had noticed so far that Harry Potter was dining with Draco Malfoy of all people.

Then the door creaked open and noise filled the room, far louder than the quiet murmuring of conversation from before.

"What's up ronniekins"-

"Are you afraid of spiders?"

Two tall, identical redheads walked past, trailing another. The one in front was equally as tall with flaming red hair and currently very red ears.

"Piss of you two".

Harry had frozen at the sight of Fred and George. He could remember the Battle Of Hogwarts clearly. Fred lying dead on the floor in the Great Hall, eyes wide and glassy with shock as if he could've never seen his own death coming. George was crying, clutching his body hard to his chest and sobbing as if his heart had just broken solidly in two.

Yet here they both stood, happy and teasing their younger brother with the same ease they'd had all those years ago. Still finishing each others sentences. He remembered back when he first visited George after what happened to Fred, sometime he'd start speaking and then he'd trail of as if waiting for his twin to swoop in and finish but it would never happen and he'd just be left staring at the wall blankly.

He'd tried to put his work into WWW but it never really worked, Fred was always the most outgoing of the two, the one with the ideas, whereas George was the executor, only ever doing things when prompted by his twin. Without Fred, George had lost the passion for his business that he used to have in spades.

"Draco, I want you to stand up and start walking for the door. Remember to sneer on the way out".

The blond furrowed his eyebrows for a moment then his eyes zeroed in on the brood of redheads.

"Weasels", he hissed through clenched teeth.

"Go", Harry whispered, "Before they spot us together".

"Like hell I'm leaving you with them", Draco whispered furiously. "They've been nothing but bastards to the both of us".

Harry wasn't entirely sure how he'd ended up like this.

If somebody had've told his 11 year old self that one day he'd be regularly shagging Draco Malfoy he'd probably have vomited on the carpet.

It had all began at the start of term, 8th year. After the war so many people had missed out on their education after the horrors of their last year and the torture the Carrows put many of the students under. The new Headmistress, Professor McGonogall, had decided to open up the school with an optional 8th year for those who had missed out to come back and repeat their exams if they wanted to. Quite a few of the people from Harry's year had obliged. He and Ron had decided to come back for 6 months to complete all the NEWTs they needed to get into the Auror Academy. Hermione was staying for the whole year and putting in as much effort to get straight O's as possible.

When Harry had seen the returning Slytherins, at first he'd been rather pissed to say the least.

There were only a few. Pansy Parkinson, Daphne Greengrass, Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy. He remembered Greengrass and Zabini to have at least some semblance of neutrality throughout the war. The other two were quite the opposite. Malfoy had they Dark Lord living in his house at one point for Merlin's sake.

They'd avoided each other like the plague, there wasn't even any of the sneers or sly comments, their eyes just passed over each other as if the other didn't exist.

Then one night they'd both snapped.

Harry was on his way back from the library one night after a heavy study session in the restricted section (DADA NEWT's required a basic knowledge of the Dark Arts to get a pass) when he'd ran into the Malfoy himself.

Things had kicked off from there, curses shouted, growled words of anger and hatred. They built up so much fury in the both of them that they both needed a release. And they got it. Just not in the way they'd both intended.

The next day he'd woken up in the room of requirement, curled up on the floor in a pile of pillows with a dull ache in his ass and a blond teen wrapped around him.

They'd kept on doing it after that.

It started as just breaking down built up anger, something to give them both release. They didn't speak except for garbled moans for 'faster' or 'more'. Then, once they were done, they'd cast cleaning spells, pull on their clothes and walk out as if nothing ever happened.

It was casual, no strings attached sex. Until one day it wasn't.

One day, they'd both ended up in the ROR and they both stood there, staring at each other. Then Draco broke down.

He'd collapsed on the pillows and sobbed for about an hour, Harry had pulled him to his chest and rubbed his back in an awkward show of affection.

Then after that they talked.

After they shagged they'd always talk, about how their day was or their childhood. Harry learnt all about Draco's favourite foods and colours and his favourite activities with his mother when he was just 8 years old. Soon, he knew more about Draco than he knew about his best friends.

It was about that point that Harry realised he was in love, and it scared him.

Harry had just stumbled back through the portrait hole after a long steamy session of sex in the locker room showers after the latest quidditch match. The evidence of Gryffindors win was still over the common room floor in the remnants of the party and only a few people were still awake.

He collapsed on the sofa opposite where Hermione and Ron were playing chest and groaned, cursing Draco for the pain in his ass. It didn't matter, he gave as good as he got.

The two looked up from their game and stared at him quizzically.

"Where've you been Harry? We've been worried sick", said Hermione in her usual mothering tone.

"Ya look like shit mate. Have you been drinking?"

"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed, whacking him on the back of the head. "Language!"

"Sorry 'Mione. But seriously mate, you do".

Harry sighed lightly and tried to bury his face in a pillow to avoid their questioning stares, "I took a shower".

Hermione stood up from her chair and came to peer over at him, then she gasped slightly, "Harry...is that a hickey?"

Harry's heart froze, he forgot to apply the glamours.

He looked up weakly, "Yes?"

She shook her head slightly in shock and sat down beside him and rested her hand on his arm, rubbing it soothingly, "You told us you didn't get back with Ginny".

'They think I'm with Ginny?'

Ron looked down at him in shock, his eyes wide in horror, "Mate have you been shagging my sister? I mean...I hate to have to give you the big brother talk but..."

He groaned, much louder this time and sat up, wincing slightly at the pain, "No Ron. I'm not shagging Ginny."

Hermione tilted her head in question, "What do you mean? I thought you told Ginny you were gonna get back together after the war".

"You thought he told me what?"

He turned around and saw her, Ginny, standing right behind him. She was still dressed in her quidditch gear and looked to be a bit flustered from all the attention she'd been getting after the match. She smiled down at him lightly and his heart, which used to flutter in her presence, plummeted to his feet.

Ron perked up, "Hey Gin. We were just talking about you and Harry getting back together".

'Oh fuck no. Please not now'.

She looked down at him hopefully, her eyes twinkling in a manner he'd only ever seen on Dumbledore, "Really?"

He put his face in his hands and shook his head ruefully, trying to think of something to say to get him out of this mess.

"Look Ginny..."

"I was thinking, you know, you said we'd get back together after the war and you hadn't said anything yet so I thought maybe you were a bit shy...I thought I would ask you to go to Hogsmeade with me..."

His mind took him back to the date with Cho Chang in Madam Puddifoots, surrounded by pink frills and soppy couples. He cringed visibly.

"Ginny, I'm really sorry, but I don't think we'd work out".

The room went horribly silent and she felt three pairs of eyes staring at him intently. Ginny in sadness, Hermione's in confusion and Ron's in anger.

"What do you mean it won't work out?"

He looked up to see Ron fizzling in barely repressed anger. "Ron..."

"I thought you told her you loved her. Were you using her? What did you think you would do huh? Shag Ginny and throw her away like trash?"

"Ron!" Hermione screeched. Ginny looked close to tears and she'd hugged her arms around herself, sobbing quietly.

"What did I do?" Ginny said ever so quietly, "Was I not good enough?"

Harry frowned, that wasn't true. She was a great person, kind and passionate and caring, and if he was straight he'd probably be all for her. But he wasn't , and to be honest looking back on their relationship he found she reminded him far too much of his mother for his liking. And as much as he wanted to be like his father, that was just a step too far.

"Look Ginny, it really isn't you it's not me".

She frowned and her brows furrowed but she stayed silent, Ron however was raging, "Don't give her that bullshit. Tell us the truth".

His heart clenched and he stood up, "I wasn't lying. It is me. Ginny, you're not...you're not my type and to be honest as much as I love you Ginny, it's only as a friend. I could force myself to be with you but it wouldn't be fair on either of us, you deserve better than that."

She nodded slightly and launched herself into his arms sobbing and murmuring "Thank you". He was glad she understood, even if Ron didn't.

Ron scowled, "What do you mean not your type? You don't mean..." he looked at Hermione in horror.

"No I don't like Hermione".

Hermione looked shocked and Ron looked outraged, "What are you trying to do Potter? Steal my Girlfriend?"

"Ron", he took a deep breath and turned to look him dead in the eye, "I'm Gay. And I'm in love with somebody else".

The room went dead quiet once again and Ginny was staring at him with a small smile on her face, wiping away the tears. "Thank you for being honest with me Harry".

"Thank you for caring".

Hermione hadn't said a word in a while and to be honest Harry didn't want to know what she would say.

"Who?" Ron asked in a deathly whisper.

"Draco Malfoy".

Ron was pissed. It didn't take that long for it to reach the rest of the Weasley's.

Hermione had sided with Ron, purely because of the fact she loved him. Percy, it turns out, was a huge homophobe which wasn't that surprising. He'd turn his nose up at him and stare in disgust every time their paths crossed at the ministry. Mrs Weasley was disappointed with him, giving him sad mournful looks every time he showed up at the burrow as if mourning the death of his romance with her 'little baby girl'. She'd got it in her head they'd marry apparently. Mr Weasley went along with everything she said naturally and George was so withdrawn that he hardly even noticed the turmoil. It was the end of his relationship with the Weasleys.

But it was ok. Because 2 weeks after the explosion in the common room, he'd told Draco Malfoy he loved him, and listened as the man hesitantly said it back. About a year after that they were engaged and the year after they were married in a small wedding with only a few friends there to watch. He enrolled in the Auror Academy and Draco with the Unspeakables.

Life went on. But it still hurt

He and Ginny had become friends quickly, her almost replacing her brother as his new best friend. They'd meet almost every day for coffee after work and gossip for hours on end about her quidditch career or the goings on at the ministry. She'd attended his wedding and took pictures, smiling the whole time. He and Draco did the same for her wedding with Christopher Beaumont, a French Quidditch player who she'd met through work. He also witnessed the birth of her first child as well.

He mourned the loss of the closest thing he had to family, but he got a new one. One that he could truly call his own. And maybe, one day, he and Draco would have a few kids for themselves. A man could wish.

"It's ok Draco. I can handle this, act normal remember?"

The blond haired man gave a curt nod and started to walk towards the door, plastering a well practiced sneer across his face.

"Well look, if it isn't the Weasley's. If you're looking for free charity here you'll be sorely disappointed", he looked at their dirty ruffled clothes in disdain.

"Piss off Malfoy", mumbled Ron, his ears even redder than before if possible.

"I was going anyway, I wouldn't want to spend any more time around the riff raff", then he sauntered off with all the decorum of a high status pureblood, sending one last lingering look at Harry as he went.

It didn't take long before the red headed brood spotted him hiding in the corner and pulled him over to a larger table that would seat all of them. Hermione engulfed him in a massive hug and he smiled ever so slightly, as much as he acted her for running off with Ron and abandoning him, he still missed her as a friend and it always hurt to see her leave. Maybe if her did things differently this time he wouldn't have to, he wasn't so sure about Ron but he supposed he'd figure it out as he went along. Maybe if he could work the anger and jealousy out of him he'd get back the old Ron, the one that used to be his best friend.

"Hi 'Mione. Long time no see huh?"

She sniffled into his hair, "You haven't written at all in the last few weeks! And with Sirius Black on the loose, you could've been dead for all we knew!"

"Sorry, I've been busy. Shopping and things I've been trying to get in some studying before the new year".

Hermione beamed at him proudly and Ron groaned, "Don't be turning into Hermione alright mate. Next you'll be quitting the quidditch team!"

He chuckled slightly and Hermione looked down at him, hands on her hips signalling she was about to start ranting, "Why the hell did you leave the Dursleys? Nobody knew where you were."

He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, "Yes well you see there was a bit of a mishap with my Aunt Marge and I thought it was best to leave, to diffuse the tension you know?" He grimaced, remembering the sight of burning Marge. He didn't think he'd ever eat pork again after seeing that disgusting sight.

Luckily, Hermione seemed to let it go and relaxed slightly before prattling on about electives, "I've been looking into all sorts of Arithmancy, it's like magic through use of maths although it doesn't really get much harder than Algebra. You can use it to calculate spell power and trajectory and even create spells if you combine it with Ancient Runes, which is in itself a very fascinating subject." She turned to him thoughtfully, "What electives did you choose Harry?"

He smiled at her familiar academic vitriol, "Ancient Runes, Care and Divination".

He'd chosen Care because of Hagrid, not wanting to upset him and truly enjoying his lessons before the Hippogriff incident. Something that wouldn't happen anyway thanks to Draco being less of a pompous snob nowadays.

He'd taken Divination for a few reasons. One to keep an eye on Trelawney, having seen with his own eyes how many of her odd predictions turned out to be true he didn't want to miss a single one of them, just in case they'd help him. The second was the odd affinity for Tarot cards he'd picked up after solving a case where the murderer left the cards behind as their symbol.

He'd chosen Runes because in all honesty it was extremely useful. Parseltongue runes were very powerful due to their nature, as explained by Draco, and could be very good in wards or healing spells. Runes were usually the basis of spell creation and if he could learn how to properly construct a Parseltongue spell of his own it would be very useful.

"I'm so proud of you Harry, finally putting some thought into your studies. Runes is a very good choice, and we'll be in the same class! Isn't that great!"

"Yeah", he smiled warily.

"Now come on, I don't know about you two but I really need to get some shopping done before tommorow".

And then they were being dragged off into Diagon Alley without a second thought.

Author's notes: I hope you enjoyed the little flashback into Harry and Draco's past. I might be including some more later on if they're relevant to the plot. I have been posting a lot of chapters recently, mostly to try and get all of my ideas down on paper, soon I'll probably start posting only once a week it depends on if I'm busy. Thanks again!