Author's Note: Yes, I'm still alive! I've just come back from a very dark place, emotionally speaking, and it's caused severe writer's block, among other things. But I find that fan fiction is a good way of working through it, so here I am.

Chapter Fourteen – Long Term Plans

It was only seven in the evening when Draco stumbled into The Stag, only for once it wasn't from having too much to drink, but from the crowd that was gathered around the door. He knew there was a chance that some wizards would scout the gay bars for a chance to catch Harry, but wasn't expecting there to be quite so many. He'd thought ahead and disguised himself, however. A couple quick charms made his hair darker and altered his nose, making it slightly less pointed. Then he darkened his skin a bit and hardly recognized himself in the mirror. Once he managed to push past the unwelcomed guests, he sat down at the bar.

"The usual, Cameron."

Cameron frowned and squinted as he looked closer at Draco. "Malfoy? Is that you?"

"Shh." Draco looked around, but the wizards didn't appear to have noticed him. "Don't use my name."

Cameron looked around at the room. "Who are you hiding from? Don't tell me these people are cops."

"Why would they be?"

"You're acting like you're a wanted man-and not in the usual way- and there are about a dozen men in here I've never seen around before. And I'm pretty sure most of them are straight. I was beginning to wonder if they were about ready to raid the place for drugs."

"No drugs, Cam. But I do need that drink."

He complied and came back over with the glass in hand. "I'll give it to you when you tell me what these men want."

"What have they said?"

"They've just been acting weird and one of them asked about Harry."

"Really?"

"Just if Harry had been around. I told him I don't give out information about other customers even if I knew it."

"Thanks. Harry will give you an extra tip next time he's in, I'm sure."

"So if they want Harry then why are you incognito? I could swear your nose is different, but there's no surgeon on earth that can work that fast. And how the hell did you get such a great tan so quick in February?"

"Magic."

Cameron rolled his eyes at what he assumed to be a great way to avoid answering the question. "What do they want you two for?"

Draco sighed. He had to tell Cameron something. "Let's just say that where Harry and I come from he's somewhat popular. Local hero, you might say."

"So they're… reporters?"

"Some of them. Others I think are just… fanboys."

"So how is he so popular and I've never heard of him?"

"It's really complicated. It's just some people in his hometown found out that he's gay and now there's been some new interest in him. It will go away eventually."

Cameron set his drink down finally. "Good. These guys don't spend much money and they're starting to freak out the regulars." He watched Draco carefully as he drank his scotch. "So you came here to what, see if it was safe for Harry?"

"Wanted a night out. That's all."

"But you took the time to come up with this elaborate disguise when you could have stayed home and shagged Harry."

"Harry… I think he wants a relationship."

"I could have told you that months ago. You don't, I take it."

"This is Harry. I've known him since we were eleven."

"So?"

"So… We were enemies that whole time. I hated him and he hated me and we did all we could to destroy each other."

"Sounds like obsession, not hate."

"Oh, it was hate. And obsession."

Cameron looked around to see if he was needed, but it was a slow Monday night in terms of actual paying customers. "Why do children hate? What could you have possibly had against him at that age? Maybe he had better toys than you?"

Draco snorted. "I had the better toys, clothes. He looked like a starved little orphan. I guess he sort of was one though."

"So you were a dick to him because you were rich. Why does that not surprise me?"

"Are you going to make a point?"

"Yes. The point is that children have a very limited number of reasons for hating someone, don't they? That kind of hate, it isn't real hate. It's annoyance and it means everything when you're eleven, but it doesn't mean a bloody thing in the long run."

"We fought over everything. And eventually circumstance gave us reasons to develop real hate."

"Still sounds like passion and obsession. Even back then your relationship was full of it. And now circumstance has taken away your reasons to hate each other. But that doesn't mean the passion isn't there anymore." Draco stayed quiet and took another sip of his drink. "Look, Malfoy, you and Harry are connected in ways that I don't get, but I've seen it. I've seen the way you look out for each other. No one would ever know there was anything but that between you."

"I'm not looking to settle down."

"Maybe he isn't either. That doesn't mean that you can't still be in love with him."

"I'm not in love with him."

"Aren't you? You wouldn't be so worried about him wanting a relationship if you weren't."

Draco worked with that logic for a few moments. He'd never thought about his relationship with Harry in terms of passion before, though he supposed it was true. There had to be something that drove the obsession they had with each other. Hate didn't do that on its own, though there certainly was hate. Draco thought back to all the things he felt that last year of the war. The hate wasn't really there anymore. There was a lot of fear, but in it, there was hope. And that was partly because of Harry. Draco often found himself listening to the reports of the resistance movement carefully for news of what Harry was doing. He didn't really expect Harry to be able to defeat Voldemort, but he knew even then that if anyone could, it was him. And at that time, he wanted that more than anything. That was how he learned to stop hating Harry Potter.

He looked back up at Cameron and scowled just because he could. "Christ, you've become one of those cliché barmen, giving out advice with each drink. Give a guy a bar and he thinks he's a psychiatrist." Draco finished off his drink and shook his head. "And you're rubbish at it too."

"Whatever you say."

Draco stood, laying down money for the drink. "Do me a favor and don't tell any of these vultures anything. A few days they'll go away, but don't expect to see Harry in for a while."

"Anything for Harry."

Draco wandered aimlessly for a few hours, thinking over what Cameron had said, though he never really came to a firm understanding of what he really felt about it. Upon giving it up as a lost cause, he let himself into Harry's flat around eleven. Harry was already half asleep in bed when Draco climbed in next to him. In the dim lighting Draco could see him shift, sensing another body next to him, but his eyes remained closed.

"Draco?"

"Yes, idiot," Draco said softly, affectionately. "Who else would it be?"

"I thought you were going out."

"I did. Then I went home and tried to sleep, but then I remembered that your bed is more comfortable."

"Liar. You love your bed." He kept his eyes closed, but pulled Draco in closer. "I'm glad you're here."

"How did work go?"

"Terrible. But better than I thought it would."

"So they didn't kick you out then."

"Nope. I'm still the boss, it's just fewer people like me."

Draco settled under the blankets and wrapped an arm around Harry, surprised at how good it felt to hold him. "So what about your new boyfriend?"

"What?" Now Harry cracked an eye open and lifted his head from Draco's shoulder.

"Davis. Isn't he your boyfriend?"

His tone was teasing, but any idiot could pick out the serious edge to it. Harry smiled and nuzzled Draco's neck happily. "I knew you were jealous."

"I'm not. I just wondered if he jumped you."

"He tried. He came to my office after the meeting and told me he knew it the whole time. Then he tried to kiss me."

"Tried?"

"I told him I couldn't date anyone at work. It would be unprofessional."

"Is that the only reason you didn't kiss him?"

"No. I can't be sure, but there's a very good chance that he's the one who told the Prophet about me. And I think he's a pompous arse. And I only have room for one of those in my life."

"Hm," Draco murmured.

"I'm so glad you came over."

"I can't help it. I like waking up next to you."

"Well I won't stop you."

"Good."

"Go to sleep, love."

Draco smiled and closed his eyes, relaxing next to Harry. When he woke in the morning the smell of breakfast was drifting in from the kitchen, but the flat was oddly silent. He couldn't hear Harry moving around at all and went out to investigate.

Harry was fully dressed, looking quite official and very hot in his Auror uniform. He was reading the paper and didn't notice Draco come in. There was bacon and toast on a plate near the stove and a nearly empty plate in front of Harry. Draco frowned as he noticed the way Harry's brow was pulled together in concentration. The morning paper should not take such effort.

"Did they write about you again?"

Harry looked up and smiled. "Good morning. There's food. May need a warming charm though." He looked back down at the paper and held it up for Draco to see. The headline read Harry Potter Admits Homosexuality.

"Creative title. No wonder I stopped reading that rag."

"Some of the Aurors told them everything I said in the meeting yesterday. Though they neglected to print any kind of retraction on the stuff about Dumbledore."

Draco warmed his food and brought it to the table with an amused look. "Were you expecting them to?"

"Hoping, but no, not expecting." Harry pushed the paper away and watched Draco eat for a few moments. "I'm really glad you came over last night."

"Me too."

"I have to go to work in a bit. What are you up to today?"

"Well, I'll have to actually do all the work I've been putting off the last few days. That means meetings with my financial advisors. And you remember me telling you that I'd have to go to France this month?" Harry nodded. "I have to make those plans soon and I was wondering if you'd like to come along."

"What? To France?"

"Have you ever been?"

"A couple times on Ministry business, once with Ginny."

"Well, there are a few areas of muggle Paris that I'm sure you didn't visit with Ginny or the Ministry. I'd really like to show you. Or, more likely, this is an excuse to get you away from work and into an expensive hotel room for four days."

Harry's eyebrows rose, intrigued by the offer. "I have to work."

"You don't have time off?"

"I usually use it when the kids are home."

"All of it? You can take a few days off. You have most weekends off anyway, so all you'd have to take is a couple extra days. Shacklebolt will understand, given recent events. And you need to get out of town."

"When are you going?"

"Two weeks, if I can."

"I'll see what I can arrange."

"Just think you, me, room service. We'd never even have to leave the room if we didn't want to. Except for my business, but that won't take long."

"You never did explain exactly what kinds of contracts you're going to renew."

"It would be hard to explain. Maybe if you come to Paris with me you'll find out."

Harry grinned and stood. "I'm going to be late. Will you lock up?"

"Of course. Will I see you tonight?"

Harry stopped and looked down at him. "How else will we wake up together?" He leaned in for a quick kiss. "But if you want to go out you'll have to go without me."

"How long to you plan to extend your self-imposed exile from all social settings?"

"Until the paper can go a week without writing about me. I'll see you later."

The problem with staying in Harry's flat after he was gone was that there was no one to distract Draco from his depressing thoughts. Harry had pictures up all over his place of his children and other family, which only served to only remind Draco of his own son. His therapist had been encouraging him to work things out with Astoria, and after Harry saw Scorpius at Hogwarts he had been thinking about it even more. How could he heal if he didn't at least try? So after his business in Diagon Alley was completed, Draco found himself standing in front of Astoria's door. The house elf let him in and showed him to the sitting room, which he actually found ridiculous, since it had been his house only a year ago.

"Draco, how lovely to see you," she greeted him with a false smile. She was giving him that look that told him that she was clearly better than him. Ringlets of blonde hair rest on her shoulder neatly, perfectly, as if she was posing for a portrait. The sight of her had never irritated him quite as much as it did this day though. How could he have ever believed that he could spend his life with such a fake, smug bitch?

"I wish I could say the same, Astoria, but I can't even speak that lie with a straight face."

"Or a straight anything else."

"Witty." He sat down in the arm chair across from her sofa. "I've come to speak with you about Scorpius."

The smug smile dropped from her lips. "I have nothing to say to you and neither does he."

"I am his father. I will see him."

"Draco, darling, you know I won't allow it."

"And you should know that I will take you to court if I have to. I will see my son even if I have to have the law make it so."

"Your father could have managed that kind of sway with the courts, but not you, dear. The Malfoys don't have that power anymore."

"But we will have again. I've been too passive about this. I've allowed you to do as you wish because I didn't want to face public scrutiny again. Things have changed. Maybe you've heard that Harry Potter has come out."

She rolled her eyes. "Thrown out of the closet kicking and screaming would be more accurate, yes."

"You convinced me once that the law would side with you because you're straight. If a court said I was an unfit parent because I'm gay then it would be like saying their savior, Potter, is unfit as well. They won't do that. And without that as leverage they will refer back to the old laws. The father has a right to protect his name."

Astoria scowled. "He won't see you. He hates you for being a pervert."

"He's my son. If he hates me then it will be of his choice and not because of some poison that you feed him about me." Draco continued, trying to project and air of confidence. "He will spend Easter with me and half the summer. Any fights from you and I will have you in court faster than you can say 'cock ring'."

"He's my son, Draco, and I will not have you corrupting him."

"Corrupting him?" Draco's voice rose as he stood from his chair. "Corrupting him, you bitch? What is that supposed to mean?"

"Just as it sounds." She stood and came toward him, glaring. No longer sitting for a portrait, she now looked like a spoilt child when told to go to her room. Her face was flushed and if Draco wasn't so angry he might have found it amusing. "If I let you have him he'll turn out to be a fag too and I won't let that happen. I saw you sneaking around all those years, making eyes at all the pretty boys. When you stopped sleeping with me I was glad because you make me sick. As if the Malfoy name could get any more soiled, but you had to try."

"No one would have known at all if you hadn't insisted on the divorce, so don't blame me."

"I had to distance myself from you while I could. Before you were caught by someone who mattered. Like that idiot, Potter. You see the trouble it's caused for him. I wasn't going to be a part of that and neither will Scorpius."

Draco took a deep, steadying breath. "He's my son. And you have no say in it. And if you ever imply that I could or would turn him gay, I won't hesitate before taking this to court and making sure you never poison him with your lies again." He turned and marched toward the door, but she called out to him.

"You'd think you would have more regard for how your family is affected by your lifestyle. Especially after it killed your father."

Draco stopped in the doorway, but only turned his head just enough to speak to her. "I'll pick him up from the train for Easter." And with that, he walked out on her.

Unfortunately the conversation with Astoria planted doubt in his mind. He didn't like to think about the possibility that his sexuality was what pushed his father toward suicide, but anything was possible. And Draco knew that he wasn't the best parent on earth. That much was obvious. But the insinuation that he wasn't good for Scorpius just because he was gay made his blood boil. And if Draco was a bad father for that reason then, by extension of that logic, Harry was a bad father too. Draco was insulted enough for both of them.

It was only one o'clock when Draco returned to his flat. But it was empty and he was desperate to get his mind off Astoria and her bigotry. Smiling to himself, he composed a quick note for Harry, asking him to stop by for lunch.

H- I'm hard and bored. My place. Now. -D

He paused as he tied it to the owl's leg. After all, wasn't this a little too… boyfriend-ish? He finally shrugged, not caring how it sounded. He was horny and didn't feel like being alone. As the owl flew out the window Draco sat again to compose a letter to Scorpius. It was short, merely expressing his apologies for not really being there recently. He then informed Scorpius of the plans for Easter. He hoped that Scorpius would respond, though he didn't really expect it. He had just sealed the envelope when there was a knock at his door. Harry was leaning against the door frame smiling as Draco opened the door.

"I got the most interesting note just a few moments ago."

Draco smiled. "And I see you rushed right over."

"I left the office so fast my assistant is probably still trying to figure out what happened. So just how accurate was that note?" he asked, with a glance toward Draco's crotch.

"Why don't you come in here and find out?"

Draco walked toward the bedroom, shedding clothes as he went. Harry quickly closed the door behind him and followed. When he got to the bedroom Draco was already on the bed, naked. He threw his Auror robes on the floor. He'd never gotten out of the habit of wearing jeans and t-shirt under his robes. He figured that as long as no one else saw them he may as well be comfortable. He knelt down on the bed next to Draco who sat up and began unbuckling Harry's belt.

"I got that time off if you still want me to go to Paris."

Draco smiled up at him. "Good. Shall I show you what I want to do to you while we're there?" He tugged Harry's jeans and shorts over his hips, revealing his hard cock. Draco took it in his hand and looked up at Harry once more before taking his entire length into his mouth. Harry moaned and grabbed Draco's shoulder to steady himself.

"Fuck, that's good."

Draco pulled away and took Harry's hand, bringing him down onto the bed. "I want to fuck you," he explained, reaching for the lube.

"I suspected that's why I'm here."

Draco worked quickly with the lube and was inside Harry a moment later. With Harry's feet up over Draco's shoulders he thrust at just the speed and intensity that he knew Harry liked, bringing them both to exquisite climax. Afterward, Draco rested his head on Harry's chest as he caught his breath.

"How much time do you have?"

"I can be missing a little longer. I didn't take lunch yet. Did you finish your business already?"

"Yes." He paused, knowing that Harry would want to talk about things if he mentioned the other stuff. He wasn't really sure if he wanted to talk though. "Then I went to see Astoria."

Harry tensed. "Why?"

"I want to see my son, so I told her that. He's coming here for Easter."

"That's great!"

"Yes, I guess it is. Well, you know my shrink has been telling me for weeks to do this. It was time. I confronted her and I think it's all for the best."

"I'm glad." Harry squeezed him tighter.

"I think I want to tell him about… us."

"Okay."

Draco sat up. "Okay? That's it? Just like that?"

"He's your son. I assume you're trying to be honest with him to repair his trust in you."

"Yes, but this isn't just about me. I out you too."

"I'm already out."

"You're not out as part of a relationship with me. That's a whole other issue."

"If you want to, that's fine. Just as long as I know what you've told him so that I can tell my children. They have to find out eventually anyway."

"They do?"

"If we're in this for the long term, yes."

"Hm."

"Are we?"

Draco settled back down with his head rested on Harry's shoulder. He wasn't really sure why he hesitated, but the whole conversation made him uncomfortable. But what was the alternative? He couldn't picture himself without Harry. He took a deep breath before he answered. "Well, I don't invite just anyone to Paris with me, you know."