(Ahhh, lovely readers, what a week. I want nothing more than to curl up and sleep, and yet my God-awful muse demands my attention. And yours, as well. Please continue to review and vote, I could really use the mood boost right about now what with my mother four hours away getting chemo again this week. It's quite distressing.
Again, the poll is now working on the site, but as we have recently discovered, you cannot access the poll from the iPhone. You'll have to get on a computer to vote on the poll on my profile.
Also, ignore my bitchy muse demanding more reviews. It just gets like that sometimes. :/ Feel free to go and read my new Drarry drabble series that my bitchy Dark!Muse insisted on starting, called The Beauty Underneath. That is all. ^^ And now, on to the chapter.)

Harry stared down at the parchment in front of him on the table as he leaned forward to sign it, scarcely able to believe what was happening. It was done. The divorce was being finalized even as he scratched out his signature with the ink-dipped quill. Ginny's signature was already there, freshly signed just before him, showing her agreement to the splitting of their possessions and the arrangement as a whole. She had already gone shopping around a few times for a house of her own, and would probably be moved out in a matter of weeks. Their marriage was officially over.

Harry pushed the completed parchment across the table and it was vanished with a flick of a wand. "Thank you very much, Mr. Potter, Ms. Weasley."

Was it really so simple?

With Lily spending the day with Hugo in the Granger-Weasley household, they were now free to spend the rest of their Saturday as they pleased. Side by side, the ex-couple walked outside and stood in the sun for a few moments, just taking it in. Harry exhaled heavily and glanced over at her, meeting her eye as she did the same. "It almost doesn't seem real," he murmured, and she nodded briefly, glancing away, her fingers tangled and fidgety.

"It's for the best," she said, as if reminding them both of the fact. Harry's lips lifted in a sad smile, and he pulled her into a hug.

"We'll be friends," he promised, and she began to return his smile, reassured as their embrace was neither awkward nor strained. It was the truth, they were better as friends. It might have been better if they had figured it out a lot sooner, but then they might not have the wonderful children that they did, and Harry could never regret what had given him James, Albus, and Lily.

"Best friends," she agreed as they pulled away from one another.

"No one knows me better," Harry said with a small laugh as they began to walk, with no particular destination in mind. Layers of stress he hadn't even realized were there had fallen from his shoulders. They were free, free to be with other people and yet still in each other's lives. He wasn't sure if he could have a life without her in it at all. They had been together for too long. But this – without so many fights or so much tension – was sure to be infinitely preferable to how they had been before.

"Well, until you get a new girlfriend," said Ginny teasingly, giving him a nudge. Harry flushed slightly, thinking of Draco, and her eyes widened. "Have you already got one? What's her name? I want details, Harry!" Here was another good thing, he reflected. Since he had forgiven her for her betrayal with Dean, there had been no hints of jealousy or possessiveness between them. So aside from her aversion to Draco as a person, he didn't have to worry about her being upset at being replaced so quickly, considering she had replaced him far earlier.

"Well…" Harry bit his lip, and Ginny latched onto his arm.

"Harry," she stressed, "Tell me! I have to make sure she's worthy of you, after all. Tell me everything about her, I need –"

"It's a bloke," Harry blurted, his voice low.

Ginny blinked at him, startled. She seemed to be working hard to configure what she knew of him with this sudden new information. Then she laughed, weakly. "No wonder."

Harry's flush deepened. "It's… kind of a recent thing. Really recent," he added. "I never even thought about liking a guy before, and then he came along and… I don't know, it seems like one minute we were friends, and then I realized he was into blokes when I met his boyfriend, and I started… thinking about things…" He trailed off, shaking his head.

Ginny was watching him closely now, brows furrowed. "So… who is it, then? If he has a boyfriend already…"

Harry grinned and scratched the back of his neck, looking sheepish. "I, ah… I might've gotten him to dump his boyfriend for me. But Gil was okay with it," he continued quickly when he saw Ginny's surprise, "He's already moved on to find someone else. In Austria. It's kind of a funny story, he came in to see me at work and told me all about it. If Draco hadn't…"

He trailed off, realizing he had gone too far. Ginny's arched brows were now drawn together, her eyes narrowed into slits. "Draco?" she echoed, not wanting to believe her ears. "Draco Malfoy?" She spat the full name.

"Gin," he started, lifting his hands, "Just wait. He's not as bad as you think he is. He's not just a smug little smartarse like he always was in school. He's really sweet, and he…" Harry smiled slightly, "He loves me. He's all bark and no bite, and if you'd just give him a chance you'd see that he's really not such a bad guy."

Ginny frowned, considering. She hated Malfoy, she really did. But she couldn't help but remember the way he had clung to his son for just a moment after driving off Astoria like a mother bear protecting its cub. There had been something there… And there had to be some sort of redeeming quality in him if Scorpius preferred him to his mother, however slight that quality might be. With a sharp sigh, Ginny relented. "I want to go see him."

Harry's eyes widened. "What?"

Ginny's arms crossed. "If he's not so bad as all that, prove it. I want to see him."

Harry nibbled his lower lip for a moment, but he knew Ginny well enough to know that she wouldn't let this go. And they would have to see each other again eventually, this would only be hurrying along the inevitable. "Let's go home and I can Floo-call him to make sure it's okay before we just show up over there," Harry finally gave in, his shoulders slumping slightly. He mentally sent a little apology to the blonde, hoping that this wouldn't end up blowing up in their faces.

They Apparated home and Harry took care of arranging the Floo-call, sticking his head into the green flames after calling his lover's name. "Draco?" he called, wondering where the blonde was at. He hoped that he was at home, somewhere that he would hear him calling. "Draco!"

After a few moments, he heard barefoot steps down the hall, and he relaxed. The blonde came around the corner in his usual lazy day attire, frowning slightly, but the stern look immediately curved into a smile when he spotted Harry's face in the fire. "Harry," he said warmly, crouching down in front of the flames, "Back from divorcing the She-Weasel? Come through, I've been waiting for you."

Harry hesitated. "Actually, can you come here? Ginny…" He trailed off, and watched as realization quickly dashed across the blonde's face.

"She knows." Harry nodded, and Draco rolled his eyes. "I suppose I can't be too surprised, Gryffindors have never been widely-known for keeping secrets." Harry frowned, and he chuckled softly. "Don't take such offense, Potter. I lie well enough for the both of us." He tugged on his sleeve lightly and sighed. "Give me a few moments and I'll come through, then."

Harry nodded and pulled his head out of the fire, sitting back to look at Ginny where she stood behind him, waiting. "He's going to come here, he just needs a few minutes," Harry relayed to her, pushing himself back onto his feet to cross to the couch and settle in more comfortably for the imminent confrontation.

Ginny went into the kitchen for a drink while they waited, her displeasure with his choice in lovers still extremely clear. Harry leaned his head back and shut his eyes, wondering for not the first time just how his life always managed to become so complicated. When he heard the surge of flames in the fireplace he lifted his head and saw Draco step out, freshly dressed in fitted black trousers and a flattering Slytherin green dress shirt, fixed up so that he looked positively gorgeous as usual, not a hair out of place from his head to his toes.

"Draco," he began sitting up slightly. A quick skim of silver eyes across the room let him know they were alone, and so he didn't hesitate to lean in and drop a quick kiss on Harry's mouth, interrupting whatever it was he had been planning to say.

"Can nothing ever be simple when it comes to you?" he asked quietly, smiling faintly, their foreheads nearly touching. Harry laughed softly.

"I was just thinking the same thing," he confessed.

Draco smirked and leaned in for another kiss when they both heard Ginny clearing her throat from the doorway. The blonde shot her a glance, one eyebrow raised, and straightened slowly. "Way to ruin a moment, Ginevra." He slipped onto the couch beside Harry as Ginny's temper flicked up a notch at the obnoxious use of her full name.

"Draco," said Harry, "Please be nice. For me," he tacked on when the blonde shot him an exasperated look.

Draco grumbled quietly but merely sunk a bit lower against the couch cushions and fell silent rather than baiting Ginny further. Harry slipped a hand into his and was pleased to feel him squeeze briefly, reassuring him despite his sulking. "You've yet to tell me why I'm here when we could be busy snogging at my place," Draco pointed out after a moment of silence, when it seemed like nobody was going to say anything else.

Harry flushed, and Ginny made a choked sound, dropping into the chair that she had been crossing the room towards with a thump. "Ginny wanted to talk to you, now that she knows about… us." Harry coughed uncomfortably. "I told her you're not as bad as she thinks you are, and she wanted me to prove it."

Draco lifted a brow at him and smirked. "And how were you planning to do that, exactly?" Harry shrugged, suddenly feeling slightly ridiculous. Ginny and Draco had never gotten along before, the knowledge that he and Draco were together would hardly be enough to fix the dozens of things that were apparently wrong between the two of them. Ginny would still carry her Malfoy bias, and Draco would still look down on all things Weasley, the 'She-Weasel' in particular.

"Well, all you've done so far is convince me that you're still the same insufferable prat that I've always known you to be," snipped Ginny, satisfied to have been proven right in her judgment of Draco's character.

"Perhaps," agreed Draco with a slight inclination of his head, slipping his hand from Harry's and wrapping his arm around his shoulders instead, bringing them slightly closer together. "But I'm the insufferable prat bedding Harry every other night." He ignored the startled sound that broke from Harry's lips before he could control it, noting with faint amusement that it sounded suspiciously like a squeak. "So your options are to live with it or live without Harry in your life at all, which I would be quite all right with, to be frank."

Harry might as well not have even been in the room. Their eyes locked and held, and if the tension had been visible it would have been like streaks of lightning leaping at one another, seeking some way to exert dominance and drive the other back. Ginny finally tossed her head, challenge in her eyes as she lifted her chin in a stubborn gesture that Harry was all too familiar with. Draco's eyes flashed as he tilted his head at her, accepting her challenge.

"I still really, really don't like you, Malfoy," she said, her voice low.

Draco shrugged one shoulder, unconcerned. "The feeling's mutual, Ginevra."

Harry closed his eyes and, again, reflected on the complexity of his life.

(Time skip)

"I got a letter from Albus and James yesterday."

Draco tightened his arm around the brunette's waist and settled his head comfortably on his bare shoulder, running his short fingernails lightly over his lover's skin, smiling slightly to himself as he allowed himself to wallow just a few more moments in the post-coital bliss before tuning into the conversation Harry was apparently starting between them.

"I see," he murmured, having nothing else to really add with so little information to go on. Harry didn't seem to mind, taking his short response as an invitation to spill the whole story. They had the whole night, after all. Ginny had insisted that Harry stay the whole night for once, that she was more than happy to take care of Lily for a single evening to give them kind of time they had been denied up to that point. For Harry's sake, she had added pointedly. But the fact remained that Draco was benefitting from it as well.

"Scorpius apparently told them your big secret, about being into blokes and being in love with me." Draco lifted his head, surprised, and Harry nodded, pleased to have gotten his full attention now. "Apparently he was keeping the secret for you until he found out that I knew all about it and reciprocated the feeling, and then he decided it was all right for them to know, as well. But they don't intend to tell anyone else. It's like you said, I guess, about them turning to each other for comfort and support."

Draco nodded, frowning as he let his head drop once more. As much as he hated the idea of Scorpius sharing his secrets with anyone after he had promised not to tell a soul, he could understand the boy's reasoning. And the three boys were very close, he would admit. Scorpius might have told them because it concerned them, and because of their bond, but he knew he could still trust his son not to tell anyone else, except perhaps Lily. But by the time that became an issue, she would probably already know, as well.

"So they wrote to you wanting you to confirm it, I suppose?" hedged Draco, letting his eyes slip shut for a moment when he felt fingers gently card through his hair, giving his scalp a pleasurable scrape with his blunt nails every now and then. Harry smiled to himself as he watched Draco completely relax against him. He knew what Gilbert had meant now about it being impossible not to love someone like Draco once you were allowed to see past their masks and defenses, right into their hearts with all their complexities and eccentricities.

"Yeah, Albus and James wrote on the same parchment. I guess they were too impatient to each write their own letter. Scorpius wrote a little, too, mostly to apologize for telling them without knowing if we would be okay with it."

Draco nodded a little, his attention beginning to drift once more. "Have you already written them a reply?" he asked in a murmur, prying his eyes back open. Harry resumed stroking his hair and watched those sleepy silver eyes slip shut once more.

"I wrote back before I came over here tonight." He leaned a little closer and kissed Draco's forehead. "We can worry about it tomorrow at work. You look exhausted." One eye cracked back open to stare at him disdainfully.

"Are you implying that I don't look my best, Potter?" he prodded, and Harry stifled a laugh.

"Perish the thought. Now go to sleep. I'm exhausted, too, if it makes you feel any better." Draco grumbled quietly but it quickly faded into silence as he settled in and allowed his mind to shut off, his half-hearted complaints replaced with quiet breathing. Harry smiled to himself and tucked the blonde head under his chin, shutting his eyes to drift off to sleep as well.

The next morning, Harry awoke with a start, glancing around. When he realized where he was, and whose bed he was in, he relaxed and sank back down into the sheets. Then he perked up a little when he heard the shower running in the master bathroom. Harry got to his feet and padded across the room to poke his head around the door frame, letting out a rush of hot steam that would have immediately fogged his glasses if he hadn't cast a small spell on them ages ago preventing just that. It had been bloody inconvenient before that point trying to bathe while halfway blind.

He could hear Draco still very much involved with his grooming, humming to himself softly as he scrubbed. Harry's mouth went a little dry, watching the silhouette through the curtain run his sudsy hands through his hair, tilting his head back to allow the hot water to rush down his body. Harry felt a stir of arousal and shut the door softly at his back, pleased by the convenience of already being naked from the night before.

Draco gave a small start when Harry slipped past the curtain to join him, smiling in amusement. "Woke up, did we, sleeping beauty?"

Harry reached out to tug him closer, and Draco went willingly, pressing against him as he lowered his head those few precious inches to catch the brunette's lips with his own. "Godric, Draco, what are you trying to do, boil yourself in your own skin?" muttered Harry, running his hands down the heated skin of the blonde's back.

"I like my shower water hot," Draco defended himself, sliding one hand down to squeeze one round arse cheek appreciatively, smirking . Harry made a small sound in his throat and pressed closer, driving Draco's back into the warm tile wall. "Among other things," he added, skimming his other hand up Harry's torso to his chin, cupping it for another hungry kiss.

"We're going to be late for work," mumbled Harry, capturing his leg and bringing his thigh up to his hip, exposing him to his hungry green gaze.

Draco shot him a cheeky grin. "Hurry," he urged, and his head fell back against the shower wall as Harry took him at his word and did as he was told.

Groans bounced and echoed off the damp tiles, amplified in a lovely way to surround them just as the hot steam did, curling and twisting in the air almost tangibly as they rode each other together towards that same overwhelming peak, urging each other along with grasping fingers and nipping teeth and burning demands murmured in low, gravelly tones, like More and Faster and Godric, Draco, do that again….

"You'll have to come and visit me today," said Draco with a faint pout, slumped across the bed as he lazily watched Harry dress. "That's twice now you've jumped my bones here recently, how am I expected to walk all around the Ministry with an aching arse, I ask you?"

Harry laughed and tugged a comb through his wet, tangled hair briefly, tossing it aside when it got stuck, as it always inevitably did. He didn't even see why he bothered anymore. "I'll be sure to come and visit you, Draco," he promised. "I have to bring you that letter, and it looks like I'll have to carry you if we want to go anywhere for lunch. Or do you think you can manage to walk that much, at least?" He grinned as Draco snorted, clearly insulted.

"I could walk as much as anyone, git. It's just a matter of how much it will hurt me to do so." He turned his head away, the picture of Pureblood pride and martyrdom. "Obviously, though, I am in love with a sadist, and it pleases you to think of me in pain trying to get around all day today." Harry rolled his eyes, amused by his lover's dramatics.

"Well, maybe when you're tired of an aching arse you'll turn the tables on me, eh?" He blinked, immediately regretting the joking words when Draco glanced at him with a primal glint in his silvery eyes.

Bloody hell. Suddenly he was extremely thankful that he was spending tonight at the house with Ginny and Lily.

(Time skip)

Dear boys (all three of you),

Scorpius is telling the truth. I am in love with Mr. Malfoy, and he is in love with me. We were going to wait to tell you after the divorce was finalized with your mother and I. Seeing as we finally did just that this weekend, I suppose you didn't find out too much sooner than we originally intended, so there's no harm done in the secret telling.
I don't want either of you, James or Albus, to think that I divorced your mother because of Mr. Malfoy. We had agreed to have the divorce before I ever got involved with him, and it's merely coincidence that things have worked out so well in the aftermath. I'll be more than happy to answer any other questions you might have when you come home for the summer, as will Mr. Malfoy, unless they're simply too urgent to wait, in which case you can write me as you did this time and I'll do my best to answer you boys to the best of my abilities.
I love you both very much, as does your mother, and Scorpius, your father loves you, as well. Our decisions will have no lasting effects on you if we can help it. These are our personal lives, but we know where our responsibilities lie with you three (four, including you, Scorpius).

I look forward to seeing all of you this summer, as I'm sure we'll all be seeing quite a lot of each other. Be good, and study hard for your exams. I know they're coming up soon.

Love,

Dad

The letter was delivered by Albus' owl, and the three huddled together at breakfast to read the response together. Scorpius smiled ever so slightly, pleased to have been proven correct. Albus and James were both looking a little less excited, though neither overreacted to the news either. "Does this mean we're going to be like brothers?" asked Albus thoughtfully.

James snorted. "No. Brothers have blood in common. It's not like his dad is going to be our dad, or our mom is going to be his mom. Scorpius is still just our friend, even if our dads are dating." He made a face. "Which is still weird."

Scorpius glanced sideways at him, one eyebrow raised in a mirror image of his father. "It doesn't matter if they love each other, does it?" James shrugged, poking at his bacon unenthusiastically, not at all comfortable with the current topic.

"I guess not," muttered James. "But it's still weird."

Albus stared at the table thoughtfully, working one corner of the letter worriedly between two fingers. "I think it would be weird no matter who he was with, even if it was another woman. It's just weird for Dad to be with anyone but Mom."

Scorpius nodded, but he didn't know quite how they felt. His parents had never really been together from what he had seen, even when they were 'together'. He just knew he trusted his father unreservedly, and if he felt like being with Mr. Potter was what made him happy, then that was all that mattered. "Maybe it will be easier if you can see them together like I have," suggested Scorpius. "They look… really happy together."

"I guess that means we'll see them this summer," said Albus, and James half-heartedly agreed. He wasn't all that interested in seeing their fathers 'together'. But it couldn't be worse than merely imagining it as he already was.

"We should be getting to class, Al." Scorpius got to his feet, tugging his bag onto his shoulder as the now-shorter-once-more brunette did the same. Their growing contest was still very much on-going, and Scorpius was pleased to be back in the lead. "See you later, James."

Albus wished his brother a similar goodbye, and James grunted at them both, watching as they headed off side by side, heads already bowed close together as they started up a new conversation. James studied them until they disappeared from sight, then rested his chin on the table.

I wonder how Dad realized he likes blokes…

(And I'm going to cut it off there. My muse demands it. ^^ Silly muse, where did that smut come from? It was so pointless, so cleverly snuck in while I wasn't paying attention. Naughty, naughty muse. Regardless, I hope everyone enjoys. Please be sure to review and vote. And be sure to check out my Dark!Muse's drabble series, which has a second chapter posted now, called The Beauty Underneath. 'Til next time, lovely readers.)