Chapter fourteen

Harry took extra care when he dressed, he was so excited about this date, he'd never felt like this before. He made sure he looked good before heading downstairs and he just got to the bottom step when there was a knock at the door.

Harry took a couple of deep breaths then smiled before he opened the door, 'Draco, hi.'

'Harry, um, do you think we could talk for a bit?'

'Yeah, sure, come in,' Harry moved aside and then closed the door, 'Do you want a drink or anything?'

'No, I'm fine thanks.'

'You've changed your mind, I expected you would,' Harry said feeling dejected.

'Not exactly, but I need you to explain.'

'Explain, about what?'

'Can we sit?'

'Yes, sorry, of course,' Harry indicated for Draco to take a seat then sat opposite, 'So what do you want me to explain?'

'I heard a rumour at work, normally, well, after our lives I don't take much notice of rumours. But I had a lot of my work colleagues coming up to me to ask if it was true.'

'I'm not sure I know what you mean?'

'Okay,' Draco took a deep breath, 'Since I am Healer Carter's assistant and it's known that you've seen him quite a lot, they think I know you.'

'You do know me and you should know that things get written about me all the time, not always the truth.'

'Yes, that's why at first I didn't take any notice, but another young assistant explained more. Okay, I have to just ask because I don't understand why you agreed to a date with me when you obviously have enough men to go out with. I was told you make these muggle movies, sex movies, is it true?'

'Oh shit,' Harry ran his fingers through his hair, 'Yes, and I was planning on telling you. I wanted to see how our first date went. But what you said about having enough men, it's not like that. What I do, it's a job, that's all. It's like, okay,' Harry sighs, 'You have work friends, but they aren't people you would socialise with even if they are friends, but it's just at work. It's like that with them, I work with them, but that's all.'

'How could you, where everyone can see what you do?'

'There's some things in my life, my past that is very hard to live with, I'm sure you know the feeling. But this one thing I have to deal with makes me angry, makes me sick. For a couple of years I've been trying to deal with this, Minerva is a great help, I talk to her a lot about everything and she helps me deal with it. But I realise that it's time I learned to deal with my own problems, I can't keep turning to others to help me. I told her that today actually, she found out about the movies and came to speak to me at the auror office. She was so disappointed in me but she did understand because she knows everything. Right now, you and I, we've just talked, decided to go out, if we became closer then yes, I will tell you, but right now I can't. So these movies, making them, pretending to be someone else, helps. There I'm just J J, not Harry Potter, there's no evil wizard trying to kill me, there's no torture or pain, there's no cruel relatives, it's just a bloke that happens to be overly large and can do the job. I don't think I'm explaining this right. Here I'm Harry, an auror but I am the one that killed Voldemort and I'm looked upon as this big hero. I'm talked about, I'm stared at, I'm written about, I can't keep anything private. There I'm just another bloke, doing his job, no one knows me, not really, I'm no one special.'

'You're explaining fine, but we're about to go out, what if this works with us. I don't think I could have my partner having sex with someone else.'

'I already know I'll stop. Right now I'm in the middle of what might be my last movie. I haven't signed any new contracts to do more. I wanted to see how we would go, normally I've signed for the next two or three movies, but I told them I couldn't commit. From the moment you asked about going out, it was the first time since the war ended that I felt good and excited about anything, I finally felt I could have a normal life. But right now, this helps me deal with everything, if we work, then I know I don't need it, I don't want it.'

'So you're willing to stop if we keep seeing each other?'

'Yes and I was going to explain all this to you, I was just going to wait until after our first date. Minerva even said that having someone like you would be good for me, you won't hold back, like me,' Harry sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, 'When we started talking, joking around, getting to know each other, I started to get drawn to you, I was attracted to you, but I wasn't sure how you felt or that you were gay. When you asked me out, I really felt this is my chance, I might get a man I like and finally have the life I want. So I need to know, can we still see each other, see how this goes? I said I will stop these and I will, I have to finish this movie first, I've got no choice.'

'I want to see you Harry, it took me a while to admit how I felt about you. It's just everyone seems to know what you do, what you look like.'

Harry sighed, 'I know, when Minerva told me about her muggleborn friend who saw them, I knew that world was about to collide with this world. I did try to keep it quiet, maybe I shouldn't have removed my mask.'

'Mask, what mask?'

'All my movies I wore a mask, it was a gimmick. So no one knew what I looked like, they didn't know my real name either, I was anonymous. I hated wearing it all the time, it got in the way, it was hot to wear especially under the lights, so I finally decided to remove it. My manager suggested removing it when I did the interview. I could show you if you like, I have a room set up here where a muggle tv works, my movies, well, I get given a copy after each one is out, even though I don't watch them. Their locked in my office, but I could show you the interview.'

'Show me, so I can understand this. At the moment I just know everyone sees you have sex. Being a pureblood we don't know much about the muggle world. I have heard about things, like movies and you see planes and helicopters, things like that.'

'Okay, I'll just grab the one I need,' Harry stood up and walked into his office. He kept thinking Draco still wanted to see him, hopefully that won't change. Harry wanted this to work, he really wanted this to work. Ever since Draco asked him out, it's been on his mind constantly, Harry just hoped Draco didn't change his mind.