(Wow, I have been so out of it lately. Between getting sick, and my continuing family problem that has improved but not gone away, my muse has just been absolutely shot. But here I am, trying to pull together another chapter worthy of my lovely readers. At this point, I'm finally at a place that I can tell you the specifics of my 'family crisis'. My mother was diagnosed with leukemia in January. It's been very rough. But she's improved quite a lot at this point, so I feel like I can resume writing now. Nothing I attempted before came out right.
I hope everyone enjoyed the last chapter. Every time I reread it I feel like there's something off about it still. It was probably because of my muse being so shaken up due to everything going on. Hopefully this one will come out a bit better than the last one. Please review, my lovely readers! Your comments always make my day and I need the mood boost now more than ever!)
Harry trudged into work Monday morning with a curious mixture of anticipation and dread curling through his gut. He had imagined a thousand outcomes for what would place when he encountered Draco at work; a fair number of them were rather positive, but the majority ended with him being hexed into the next century. Not that it wouldn't be justified. Harry had known that Draco would be livid about the privacy breach.
He didn't regret it, though. No matter what came of it all, he didn't regret it. So much suddenly seemed clear, he felt rather like an idiot for not having puzzled it out for himself. He had seen first-hand some of the discrimination toward Death Eaters and Purebloods, and he had turned a blind eye to it because it had seemed just at the time, to see criminals that had once been aristocrats finally put into their place. But for Scorpius to lose his home and his family's fortune because of a bias against his father suddenly seemed cruel.
As for Draco, he had been ripped out of the only home he had ever known, a home he had shared with his parents, who were now far from his reach, and forced to make a living with, and get through life in general enduring, others and their slander. But, what had once been just now seemed unjust. Harry had no idea what he could do to make it better. It was one of the many things he now wanted to discuss with Draco, should he be given the opportunity.
Harry saw neither hide nor hair of Draco all day. Even when he went by the blonde's office, he was curiously absent. That dread in his stomach began to grow; had Draco even bothered to show up today, or would he go so far to avoid Harry as to take a day off from work? But no, no, he had said they would discuss their usual Friday meeting at work, so surely he intended to come and do so.
And if not, well Harry had told Ginny he might be a little late getting home tonight, so he would have time to go to Draco's home and confront him there. She hadn't seemed to mind a bit, even encouraging him to stay late if need be. It seemed that even the idea of ending their struggling relationship was enough to ease the tension that had been hanging over their home after all this time. It should have been a troubling thought, but instead it brought only relief.
By the end of the day Harry was feeling just a bit frustrated. He was one of the first to clear his office and make it to the lifts, waiting patiently as his coworkers passed him, eyes sharp for the impeccable head of blonde hair that was sure to come this way eventually.
It didn't take Draco long at all to show up, looking like his usual self, groomed to perfection and as bloody handsome as ever. Harry blinked as his mind processed the thought, which had formed unbidden at the sight of his Slytherin friend. Calm down, Harry, calm down. He didn't have to be gay to recognize a good-looking bloke. Did he? No. Of course not.
Slightly shaken, he raised a hand in greeting and called, "Draco!" He watched as the slightly taller man paused, searching for him. Their eyes locked and Harry felt a tug in his stomach. Had his eyes always looked like that, like molten silver? Shaking himself mentally, Harry forced the thought out of his mind as the blonde quickly closed the distance between them.
"Harry." The brunette winced slightly at the icy tone. It seemed Draco had not yet forgiven him for his snooping, despite what Gilbert had said to the contrary.
"Draco. Listen, I really am sorry about this weekend. I never meant to… That is, I only wanted to…" He trailed off, at a loss for words.
Draco watched him struggle for a moment before rolling his eyes. "I suppose it's foolish to remain angry at you when I suspected you would end up doing something similar from the start." Harry bristled, insulted, but Draco smirked. "You're known for your snooping, Potter. You didn't make Head Auror from being honest all the time." You certainly didn't bring about the fall of the Dark Lord without a bit of deception or snooping, either, but it didn't seem necessary to mention all that just to get his point across.
Harry relaxed slightly and nodded, though he still looked less than pleased to have apparently been thought so poorly of from the beginning. "Well, anyway. I just wanted to apologize again. And…" He hesitated momentarily. "About Friday…"
Draco was quiet for a moment, considering. "I'm not against meeting as usual if you aren't, I suppose. But, Harry." He waited until green eyes were locked directly with his own. "The next time you have some burning desire to delve into my personal life, at least have the decency to ask me directly before you go through my belongings."
Harry flushed, causing Draco to chuckle at his embarrassment. "Yeah, of course; see you Friday, then." Draco nodded.
"Yes. Friday, if not before."
They parted ways there, and Harry headed home with his mind still buzzing, but with his stomach no longer in knots. He would ask all his questions of Draco on Friday, concerning both the divorce and more of Draco's past. He still had a slew of questions he wanted answered by the blonde on a number of subjects.
Harry knew that the house was empty as soon as he opened the door. It was far too quiet for both Ginny and Lily to be home. A note on the counter confirmed his thoughts.
Harry,
Took Lily to play with Hugo; they're both at my Mum's house. I'll be picking her up tomorrow; Lily decided that she wanted to stay the night. I've gone out to do a few things; I know you said you might be late. Don't wait up for me.
Ginny
Harry shrugged and tossed the note back onto the counter. It seemed he was free for the evening, then. He was tempted to go and visit Draco, but he didn't want to press his luck with the blonde. He had been surprisingly understanding about the entire situation, but he didn't want to push it too far and end up back on the blonde's hate list.
Besides, he's probably spending the evening with Gilbert.
The idea did not sit well with Harry as he busied himself with finding something for dinner, but even more uncomfortable was the feeling itself. What did he care who Draco was spending his evenings with? So long as it was no one of questionable morals that could tempt him into using Dark Magic, it was really none of his concern. Draco was free to be in a relationship with whomever he chose, whether they were a witch or a wizard, or even a Muggle, though the very idea had Harry laughing at the ridiculousness of it.
Somehow, Harry found himself at his fireplace, doubting himself and his actions even as he made the Fire-call to Draco's. It wasn't a big deal, or so he told himself. If Draco was there, he would ask to come through and they could spend the evening together chatting. If he wasn't there, no harm done. If Gilbert was there, he would just pop right back out again and pretend it never happened. Simple enough. Still, Harry hesitated as the flames went green before him, just before he plunged his head into the fire, saying, "Draco Malfoy!"
Several disorienting moments later, when his head stopped spinning, Harry found himself staring out from the fireplace into Draco's sitting room. There was a light on in the kitchen from what he could tell, slightly illuminating the entryway; the rest of the room was shrouded in shadows aside from what was lit by the flames in which Harry's head now appeared. He tried to peer around the room, wondering where the house's inhabitants were, when a soft squeaking sound had him going still. He frowned, and tried to listen harder.
The sound came again, quiet and yet nearby. It was difficult to place, but perhaps that was due in part to the crackling of the fire in his ears. When it came a third time, Harry figured out what it was just as a familiar voice groaned, "Salazar…" Harry panicked, somehow torn between deciding to back out of the fireplace and twisting himself to see the couch better. Someone's breath hissed in the air, and then Draco spoke again, softly, "Gilbert."
A muffled grunt was the only response, but after a few moments a breathless, "What?" broke through the otherwise silent room.
Harry found himself holding his breath, listening intently while also trying to remain quiet. Obviously the couple twined on the couch was too self-involved to notice the eavesdropper in their fireplace. Harry intended to be gone before they could realize he was there. But he couldn't help lingering just a bit longer.
Apparently Draco was communicating wordlessly now, because the next thing Harry heard was the rustle of clothing and the squeaking of the couch yet again, continuously this time as if one of them was changing his position. When the noises died down, the room was pierced with a muffled moan, followed by a muttered, "Godric, yes, Draco."
Harry felt that curious bubble of ill humor in his stomach again, the same one he had felt when he had watched Gilbert drape himself over his blonde friend's shoulders on Friday. Rather than analyzing the troubling sensation, Harry quickly pulled himself out of the fireplace and fell back onto the floor in his own home with a thud.
Shaking his head, Harry got to his feet and decided that he was never, ever going to Fire-call Draco without warning ever again. Forcing the entire confusing event from his mind, he decided to call it an early night and try to get some sleep. Hours later, staring at the ceiling, he refused to acknowledge the thoughts nibbling at the edges of his mind like tiny, hungry fish about what exactly had caused such a lusty moan from his usually-reserved Slytherin friend.
(Time skip)
"I feel like I'm betraying my house by cheering for James with you," commented Scorpius as they trudged toward the Quidditch pitch. "I mean, it's one thing when Gryffindor is playing Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, but I think I should support my own House, as Rose does." Albus grinned at him as they made their way up into the stands.
"You can cheer for Slytherin, that's fine. But you also have to cheer for James. It's not like he's the Seeker or anything, he's just a Beater." Scorpius rolled his eyes and watched as the two teams made their way onto the field from the locker rooms.
"That would mean I'm cheering whenever one of the Slytherin team gets hit with a Bludger." Albus laughed at the face his friend made.
"Well, as long as nobody gets hurt too badly, what does it really matter? It's all just part of the game, right?"
Scorpius glanced away from the field and looked over at Albus, a smile grudgingly finding its way to his lips. "…I suppose."
Albus beamed. "Good. Hey, I'll cheer a little for Slytherin, too, if that would make you feel better about cheering for Gryffindor."
Scorpius' smile widened slightly. "That would be fair," he agreed with a nod, and so the match commenced. It felt a bit odd, to basically be cheering for both sides to win, but neither boy had any problem with it since it didn't matter much to either of them personally. Next year it would possibly be an entirely different matter, once they were given the opportunity to play for themselves if they so chose.
It was a close match, with each team securing fifty points, keeping the score tied for the entirety of the game. Finally, it was the Slytherin Seeker that managed to swipe the Snitch out of the sky, securing the win for Slytherin.
Albus wasn't too fazed by the loss, congratulating Scorpius for being in the winning team's House. But by the time they got down from the stands, James had come out of the locker room looking livid. He was not at all happy about losing to Slytherin, nevermind that it was their first loss of the season and they still had a chance at winning at the end of the year.
Spotting Scorpius and Albus walking by, James singled them out, driven purely by the leftover adrenaline from the game and the sting of his first defeat. "You Slytherin prat!" he shouted, causing both first years to freeze and look in his direction, startled. "I can't believe we lost to your stupid bloody House! You lot always have been known as cheating wankers, though, haven't you?" Albus looked horrified by his older brother's words, but Scorpius was already retreating behind a stoic mask, protecting his feelings from the harsh insults being flung at him.
"I think Slytherin won fairly, without cheating," said Scorpius coolly, "But if you don't think so, perhaps you should take it up with someone that can do something about it, instead of me." The blonde turned away, intending to head back into the school with or without the Gryffindors. Albus glared at James and rushed to keep up with his best friend.
James raised his voice and called after them, "You know, I heard your dad was a cheating plonker when he was in school, too."
Scorpius stopped and whipped around to face the older boy, his cool mask shattered to reveal the burning fury underneath. "Don't talk about my father that way," he growled, fists clenching and unclenching at his sides.
"Yeah, don't talk about his father that way!" said Albus, immediately leaping to Scorpius' defense. James was acting way out of line, and it didn't matter how much thicker blood was supposed to be than water, Albus wasn't going to back him up in bullying Scorpius just because he was being a sore loser at Quidditch.
James glared at them both, his gaze flicking back and forth between his brother and his 'shadow'. "I bet you were cheering for the Slytherin team, too, eh, Albus? Supporting the enemy over your own brother!"
Albus gaped at him. "Scorpius isn't the enemy! It's just a Quidditch game, James! It's not as big a deal as you're making it out to be!"
Scorpius turned away before James could say any more and dashed toward the castle, leaving the two brothers behind. He refused to stay and listen to these insults. Ignoring Albus as he shouted his name, the Slytherin quickly disappeared from sight, heading straight for the Slytherin Common Room at top speed.
Albus rounded on the older brunette, furious. "How could you say that to Scorpius? He didn't do anything to you, you prat!" He scowled, adding, "I'm never going to play Quidditch, if this is what it does to you."
With that, he turned and ran toward the castle as fast as his legs could carry him, calling Scorpius' name loudly. He knew exactly where the blonde would be going; he only hoped he could catch up in time to stop him before he disappeared into the Slytherin dungeons, past where he, as a Gryffindor, could follow.
(Time skip)
"Is it me," asked Harry, "Or did this week seem to drag on longer than usual?"
Draco chuckled softly and ordered their drinks, glancing sideways at his companion. "Rough week, I take it. What, is the She-Weasel having second thoughts?"
Harry quickly shook his head. "No, no. Things have been brilliant at home, actually. We don't fight half so much anymore. Ginny does her thing during the day, I do mine, and we spend most evenings home together with Lily." He ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh. "I've just been doing some more thinking."
"A dangerous pastime," said Draco teasingly, smirking. "And just what have you been thinking about so long and hard that it's made your entire week drag on seemingly forever, hmm? Anything I can help with?"
Harry brightened. "Yeah, actually, that's exactly what I'd like to talk about tonight." Draco perched his chin on his palm, elbow on the bar, as their drinks arrived. He ignored them, eyes focused unblinkingly on Harry.
"Fire away, then."
Harry glanced around furtively, as if checking for eavesdroppers, and then leaned close to his blonde friend. "Were you already gay when you married Astoria?" Draco blinked, surprised by the seemingly random question.
"No, I was quite straight before I got married. Astoria is the one who drove me completely gay," Draco deadpanned, making Harry laugh. "To be serious, I had a healthy interest in either sex. I suppose I still do, but I have no mental interest in women at the moment, if you understand. Physically, I am still attracted to them. But I don't intend to be with one anytime soon." Harry nodded. Astoria had seemed like a right bint. It was little wonder Draco had a low tolerance for women after having someone like that for a wife.
"Okay. So… how did you know? You know, that you liked… blokes?" Draco leaned back slightly to study him for a moment, looking slightly amused.
"…Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems as though you suddenly have quite a few personal questions for me regarding my sexuality. Anything you'd like to discuss that's happened on your end?" The knowing smirk had Harry flushing crimson. Draco looked smug as he took a drink from the bottle in front of him. "Out with it, Potter. You tell me what I want and I'll answer all your little questions. What's sparked this sudden interest?"
Harry looked away, suddenly finding the floor to be infinitely more interesting than the man sitting next to him. He mumbled something under his breath and blushed an even deeper shade of red, all the way to the tips of his ears. "What was that, Harry? I couldn't understand you. Speak up just a little bit." Draco leaned closer, inwardly desperate to hear his response. Could it be? Could Harry possibly be considering…?
"It's not all that sudden," mumbled Harry. "I've been sort of thinking about it for a while. Ginny and I haven't… you know… in, well, ages. And I – Merlin, you can't tell anyone about this – but I don't even really miss it. The… you know."
Draco took a twisted pleasure in saying, "The sex," just to make Harry cringe. "Don't look so guilty, Harry. I told you I only bedded Astoria enough to get her pregnant with Scorpius and then we didn't even share the same wing of the Manor, let alone a bed. But what makes you think you'll suddenly want it with a bloke just because you stopped wanting it with the She-Weasel? Frankly, I don't see how you'd have wanted it in the first place, but that's just me."
He smirked, incorrigible, as Harry frowned at his insult. But he knew it would be impossible to stop Draco from making fun of Ginny. He should be grateful that the blonde tended to refrain from saying such things to her face. "That's why I wanted to talk to you. How did you figure out that you liked blokes?"
Draco shrugged, swirling his drink gently, watching the liquid inside splash lightly at the sides of the bottle. "I believe it was in our later years at school that I first started looking at other blokes. One day Blaise and I – you remember him, don't you? – were in the Common Room together and… Well, I suppose we were both feeling a little curious, and we decided to just try it and see. What would the harm be? No one else ever had to know, and neither of us would rat the other out or we'd be equally humiliated. Experimenting was… encouraged in Slytherin, I suppose you could say. And the rest, as they say, is history."
Harry took a few moments to process this as both men drank from their respective bottles. "So what you're saying is that you were curious, and you found someone to try it with that you could trust to see if you liked it or not?"
When Draco nodded, Harry looked down at his bottle for a long, tense moment, and then looked back at him. "Can I… trust you?"
Draco stared at him, unable to believe for a moment that he had just heard that correctly. He was fairly sure that his jaw might actually have dropped, which would mean he was gaping quite stupidly at the brunette sitting at his side. Before he could shake his stupor enough to respond, Harry had turned a bright red all over again and quickly turned away from him, muttering, "Nevermind, forget I ever said anything."
Draco watched him for a moment, then leaned closer to him and murmured, "Harry…" The low, knowing purr sent a chill down Harry's spine. "You can trust me." Harry glanced sideways at him, still turned away as much as possible, completely embarrassed at the sudden turn the conversation had taken. The fact that he had instigated it did nothing to lessen the shock of it. He certainly hadn't planned on such a bold suggestion when they had arrived at the bar earlier that evening. And yet, here they were. He wasn't sure yet if it was a good thing or not.
"What about Gilbert?" asked Harry worriedly.
Draco inwardly cursed, but outwardly he merely smiled slightly. "He won't mind a bit, I promise you. It's all in the name of curiosity, after all. It doesn't have to mean anything more than that." Harry couldn't help but be reminded of his conversation with the younger man when he had last been at Draco's home. If Draco wanted you, he would have you… Draco does as he pleases. So was it true, then, that Gilbert wouldn't mind?
Harry tuned back in just in time to hear Draco add, "Gilbert is out of town at the moment, anyway. He just left yesterday to visit with family for the weekend. So you have no reason to feel awkward should you wish to come and visit over the next few days."
Harry nodded, his mind still working to keep up with everything that had happened in the past thirty minutes or so. He had just admitted to being curious about kissing blokes, and Draco had offered himself up to test out his curiosity. Was he really going to do this? More importantly, could he really trust Draco?
Despite everything else, Harry believed that he could, in fact, trust Draco in this. He had yet to give him any reason not to, after all. But… he still needed time to think this through fully before he did anything rash. Just in case.
"Maybe I could come by sometime this weekend, then. I'd need to talk to Ginny first to make sure we don't have anything else already planned, you understand." Draco nodded, looking pleased. Inwardly he felt a tangled flurry of frustration as well as happiness. He had waited so long for this moment, the idea of waiting even a single day more pained him almost unbearably. But he would control himself. It would be for the best, in the end.
There was no way to salvage the evening after the awkward conversation that had just been had, and so it didn't take too long for both men to finish their drinks and rise to make their way to the exit. Draco reached the door first and held it open for Harry to pass through, smirking at him as he let the portal swing shut behind them afterward. Harry shifted his weight uncomfortably from one foot to the other, his cheeks still tinged with a pink flush that seemed as though it would never go away after all he had gone through that night.
"Well, good night, then, Draco. See you soon, maybe." Draco nodded, taking a step closer to him, startling the brunette.
"Yes, and a good night to you," he said smoothly, capturing Harry's hand with one of his. Deftly, he brought it to his lips and lightly kissed the back of it, flashing a devilish, flirty look up at him from under his lashes before he released it and took a step away from the slightly shorter man. "And I look forward to our next encounter." With a wink, he quickly took advantage of poor Harry's shock and Apparated away.
Harry felt his cheeks turn red and shoved both hands quickly into his pockets as the blonde vanished. With a soft, shuddering breath, he quickly Apparated himself home.
Merlin, what was he getting himself into?
(Holy crap, this took forever, lovely readers. When my muse was with me, it was easy to write, but it escaped again so quickly that I could only write in brief spurts that took me the better part of three weeks to pull together. I'm not quite sure how I feel about this chapter. Why don't you give me your opinions after this long absence, my lovely readers? I promise to try and be more regular after this. Hopefully my muse can only improve, yes? Please, PLEASE review my dear readers. I need the support now more than ever before.)
