29.

The several weeks following the trial and what Harry was privately calling the Twelfth Night fiasco had been difficult ones. It was now February, approaching Valentine's Day and Harry was not feeling the love. He was still estranged from the Weasleys, and his strained relationship with Ron and Hermione was taking its toll at the Ministry. The restructuring of the Auror Department with the new profiling unit headed by Hermione meant that he didn't see the bushy haired witch often, but her irascible husband couldn't be avoided as easily. To ease tension in the department the increasingly frazzled Tonks had partnered Harry with Hetty Pendleton which was a relief as the two worked well together and following the serial murder case Hetty had gotten involved with Renaissance Foundation. She now served as a Youth Mentor and a volunteer at Heritage House, which gave the pair more to talk about beyond office gossip. Unfortunately, however, Harry's engagement precipitated a fall from grace in Arthur Weasley's Ministry and Harry and Hetty found themselves effectively pulled from the field doing busy work around the office rather than putting their formidable talents to use tracking down Dark wizards. When a case involving suspected Neo-Death Eaters was shuffled to Wainwright and Ricks, dotards who were retiring at the end of the month, Harry decided he'd had enough and confronted Tonks.

"I want to know why Hetty and I have suddenly been deemed incompetent to do our jobs." He thundered into Tonks' office.

The witch still sporting mousy brown hair cut into a conservative bob looked up from the screen projected by her Orb and waved Harry to a seat.

"I'd rather stand," he bit out. "Now talk to me, Tonks, what the hell is going on around here?"

Tonks sighed and ended the projection. "Look Harry, it's not that we think you or Hetty aren't capable. But I've assessed our resources and for these most recent cases there are Aurors better qualified to-"

"Don't try and sell that spiel to me, Tonks; you've never been fluent in burreaucrap and we've never played those kinds of games. You gave the Neo-Death Eater case to Wainwright and Ricks. They've each had one foot out the door into retirement for the last 20 years! Hetty and I are twiddling our thumbs while those two are out there bumbling about in possibly life-threatening situations. They've neither the spells arsenal nor reflexes to go up against serious Dark magic wielders. You're risking their lives and the public safety for what?"

Tonks bristled "How dare you say I'm risking lives Harry? Both Wainwright and Ricks may be old, but at least I know I can trust them! They're not going out and shagging the enemy are they?"

Harry drew back and shook his head. "You're...that's ridiculous! You're risking good Aurors and wasting others because of my personal relationship with Draco Malfoy?"

Tonks crossed her arms over her chest. "You said it, Harry. Draco Malfoy. Malfoys only understand money, power, and influence. Sie cannot be trusted. Sie's a Dark mage who barely escaped Azkaban. Worse, sie's head of a multi-million galleon conglomerate, who's got who knows what kind of designs on the Ministry and Wizarding Britain. Sie's obviously using you to further hir aims and you're too close to the situation to view hir actions objectively. It's only been a few months and you're already making poor decisions that could endanger the entire Wizarding world!"

"And what exactly are these poor decisions that are so perilous, Tonks?" Harry asked lowly, eyes narrowed.

Tonks held her ground, "You've alienated your friends and family." She ticked off her fingers, "Your relationship is viewed by the general public as an endorsement of Malfoy's political philosophy which we both know is just the same Death Eater claptrap hir father spewed posing as cultural reclamation. You've used your influence to further hir personal agenda in the Ministry...that tawdry display at Transcendence on New Year's is a perfect example of how sie's angling to influence people in our government, and les Éstoilles Noire...Harry, sie's got those whores ar–"

Harry held up his hand, "Enough! This is utter shite…my supposed friends, including you, Tonks, have alienated themselves because you're stuck on seeing Draco as sie was at 16. I happen to believe in Renaissance Foundation's agenda and if being engaged to Draco furthers their work then so be it though our relationship has no bearing on their mandates. And if you'd take your head from your arse for five minutes and actually look at what they're doing there you'd know it was good work and has absolutely nothing to do with the kind of bigoted shite Lucius Malfoy believed. Draco is not hir father, Tonks, though it seems there are a lot of people who have trouble grasping that concept. Have you forgotten sie fought just as hard as we did against the Death Eaters in the war? Sie lost hir mother and –"

"And now sie's trying to take mine!" Tonks cried.

"Wh-what are you on abou–"

"Narcissa is dead," she spat venomously. "So that fucking FREAK has wormed hir way into my family. Sie's turned my own mother against me. Mum fawns over hir, dotes on hir. Draco this, Draco that, Draco visited me. Draco and I went… She cares more about that damned ponce than she does me! She helped hir with that bloody ritual for Anna, and yes, she finally told me all about it, even swore me to secrecy even though it was a Dark ritual, but she won't even think about talking to Remus about us trying for kids of our own! Sie's even stealing Remus from me! We can hardly talk to each other without a row now. I'm not being open-minded enough, he says. Not being supportive. And he hardly comes home to me anymore; he's always off to his cub Draco's," she sneered, "or spending time with his cub Anna, or busy with the Heritage Youth chapter at Hogwarts, or at the Lycanthrope Refuge. We've hardly spent any time together since the hols! Malfoy's a fucking cancer! And you don't even see it Harry! How can I put you in the field when you're missing something so basic?" She demanded hysterically through hiccoughing sobs, tears spilling down her cheeks.

Harry looked at her with great sympathy but shook his head. There was nothing he could say to that. At least nothing he could say to Tonks. With a deep sigh he closed the door on his weeping friend and headed down the hall. He and Kingsley Shacklebolt needed to have a talk.

An hour and a half later Harry emerged from Kingsley's office with a stack of folders under his arm, his Signatus full of downloaded information, a heavy heart, and a headache from siphoning so much into a pensieve. He entered the office he now shared with Hetty plopped everything down on his desk and shot the most powerful locking and privacy spells he knew at the door.

"Harry?" she asked finally after he'd sunk into his chair and sat unmoving for a good five minutes. "Did things go badly with Tonks? Are we getting the Neo-Death Eater case?"

"Welcome to administration, Hetty." was his non-sequitur to her questions.

"Harry are you all right?"

The younger Auror dropped his head onto his desk. "Not really, but I suppose I will be." He raised his head tiredly. "Have a seat and I'll explain; hopefully, before the memos get here," he looked warily at the slot at the top of their door.

"Tonks is taking some mandatory personal leave. She's…been struggling with the stress of her position and a personal crisis that's kept her from being an effective Head Auror. Kingsley's already booked an appointment for her at St. Dymphna's; he feels, and I agree, that she needs some time to pull herself together. In the interim he's going to institute some changes. Namely, since the department has added the new profiling, forensics, and research unit it makes sense to have a supervising officer to coordinate and manage that unit, and another to attend to the more traditional extraction and enforcement teams. So congratulations, Hetty, you are now Head Auror in charge of Resource Management and Cz."

Hetty blinked, "Wow. I guess this means you're still my partner, right?"

Harry smiled grimly, "You're looking at the new Head Auror in charge of Tactical Deployment and Investigations.

Hetty smiled sadly, "Harry, I know you and Tonks are close. I'm sorry that things have fallen out this way. But really, congratulations. You deserve this and I think you'll do a great job."

Harry shrugged, "Thanks, you too. It just…it doesn't feel like a promotion you know? Not like this when it's at the cost of a friend.

Hetty patted his shoulder. "I understand. That doesn't mean you shouldn't look at this as an opportunity to do some good around here. And when and if Tonks comes back who knows? Besides," she grinned, "you know your betrothed will be ecstatic that it won't be you jumping head-first into all those dangerous situations anymore. Look on the bright side. Sie won't be nagging you about being promoted to a desk job!"

Harry groaned. She was right, but damn, he hated paperwork! As Head Auror there would be great deforestation in Harry's future. However, he would have more regular hours. And the position wasn't purely administrative. He could coordinate in the field if need be. And Draco would be happier. Best yet, Kingsley had given both he and Hetty the rest of the day off to make "needed personal adjustments," whatever that meant, while their new offices and administrative assistants were organised.

With a growing smile he decided things weren't so bad as he'd first thought. He pointed his wand to the door and ended the spells with an all encompassing finite incantatem, then turned to his new? Old? Old partner in new (and good) things. "Hetty, Kingsley said we should take the day. How would you feel abou–"

"Harry! What in Merlin's name is going on? I just saw Tonks come out of Kingsley's office crying and now these bloody memos are flying around saying you're the new Head Auror! What's this about? What the hell have you done?"

Harry dropped his head in his hands...well, he'd almost managed to salvage the morning. Almost.

Before he could even begin to form a response however, the benefits of a competent partner were made clear to him.

"Auror Weasley!" Hetty snapped. "You will stand down, immediately," she commanded. And in his shock training took over and Ron came to a halt.

"You have been made aware that Captain Potter and I have been promoted and are currently your superior officers have you not?"

"Y-yes, ma'am," Ron stammered; his perception of Hetty the teammate changing to accommodate Head Auror Pendleton the commanding officer.

"Neither Head Auror Potter nor myself will tolerate such outbursts as we just witnessed is that clear Auror? The proper terms of address for Head Auror Potter on these premises are sir, Captain, or Head Auror. You will conduct yourself with the utmost decorum Auror Weasley and find a way to manage your temper, or you will find yourself on suspension. Do you understand?" she barked.

"Yes ma'am," Ron answered crisply.

"Good. You are dismissed Auror."

Ron pivoted and was halfway out the door before he remembered he wanted to "talk" to Harry. Harry, who was busy staring in slack-jawed awe at his partner. "Um…"Ron fumbled, "Head Auror Potter, sir. Uh-might I have a word?"

Harry smirked at Hetty and turned his head, "Not now, Auror Weasley. Head Auror Pendleton and I have business to attend to off-premises. Of course, either of us can be reached via AudioFloo, but it's emergency only contact for the rest of the day. Any non-critical concerns can be addressed during tomorrow's department meeting. Dismissed."

Ron's face sank as he walked away and Hetty winked at Harry as she spelled the door closed. "You're a quick learner Head Auror Potter," she teased.

"I had a great coach," Harry effused. "You were amazing!"

Hetty shrugged. "We're all trained to respect the chain of command. I just tapped into that. What you have to remember now, Harry, is that you're the authority here."

Harry looked around sheepishly, "I guess that's what they mean by promotion."

Hetty grinned, "Yep, and why we get the big offices. Now, I think you were about to take me for coffee when we were interrupted."

"Can we make it tomorrow early? I do want to talk things through thoroughly before the meeting, but right now I really just want to go see Draco."

She gave him a sympathetic nod and grabbed their cloaks from the hooks behind the door. "You do that. I think I might drop in on my beau for a bit of celebration, too, actually."

"You have a boyfriend? Since when?"

Hetty blushed prettily. "It's rather new. I...met him at Heritage House; he volunteers there teaching Quidditch to the kids a couple days a week. He's a few years younger than me but…" her blush deepened.

Harry smiled and nudged her a little as they headed for the lifts. "Well, so who is he?"

"Oliver Wood, you know him right?"

He grinned, "He taught me everything I know about Quidditch. Those kids have a great coach in him. He's a good bloke, Hetty. I'm happy for you."

"I really like him," she said quietly, pushing the button for the Atrium. "Never thought he'd go for a plain Jane like me though, what with him being a famous Quidditch star and all."

Harry squeezed her shoulders. "Oliver has an eye for quality and you're a gem, Hetty; don't believe anyone who says different. And he's one who truly loves sport; it's never been about the fame or status for him. I can't see him getting caught up with the pretty-faced hangers-on and trophy tramps. You've beauty and substance and that's always a better catch. I think you're a good match for him."

"Thanks Harry," she grinned once more before they stepped off in front of the Fountain of Magical Brethren.

"Give Oliver my best." Harry said in parting and headed out to hail a taxi. The day was looking up and he was in the mood for a drive.

With surprisingly mild traffic for a Monday, Harry arrived at the Renaissance Foundation headquarters in fifteen minutes and with a quick wave to Danny, the security guard, he was on the executive lift in a flash. He went right through to Draco's office knowing that sie and Mark would be in there pouring over some document or another. He found them as he'd expected, Mark typing rapidly on a portable Orb keyboard as Draco cursed at a long roll of parchment stretched out on one of the worktables.

"And you're sure the models fail even with the new calculations, Mark?" the blond asked tiredly. "Dammit, this should work! The AFRs need to be compatible for both short and long wave frequencies. Glaurin's Theorem of Multiple Integers should be applicable. I don't understand why this isn't working!" Impatiently, sie brushed the long locks in hir face away. "Fuck!"

Harry smiled as he drank in the presence of his exasperated lover. Even tired and frustrated Draco was a vision, sunlight from the large windows lighting hir flaxen hair, the untucked white button-up set off hir lean form, pert breasts and trim waist, the oversized French cuffs accentuating the delicate set of hir wrists and expressive long-fingered hands. As always, Draco was a study in the beauty of contrasts and contradictions. But he didn't linger too long on this thought as alarm washed over him when Draco swayed before gripping the table beside hir tightly.

Mark looked up with concern, "Draco, do sit down before you fall down. It will come to you, but you've been at this all morning and you need a break!"

Draco stretched hir arms over the table and shook hir head. "Can't, need to have the formula to R&D for testing by tomorrow. Maybe I'm coming at this from the wrong angle. Perhaps this calls for something simpler — Dubois' principle, maybe. Damn, I know the answer is right in front of me. I just—" Slowly sie straightened up. "I just—" Draco blinked an odd look of confusion crossed hir face. "need to—" and before sie could say anything else sie crumpled to the plush carpeting in a dead faint.

"DRACO!" Harry dashed across the office and gathered up his fallen lover before Mark could even leave his seat. He laid his hand gently across hir forehead. "Sie's running a fever," Harry reported worriedly.

"Sie's been off all morning. I tried to convince hir to stop for some breakfast, at least, but you know how sie is when there's something to be done and sie's been determined to work out this AFR problem before anything else."

Harry shook his head. "You have to slow down Draco. You work too hard" he said tenderly recalling the note his lover left that morning reminding Harry sie was going in early to work on the AFR project.

The young magnate came round blearily. "H'rry? Wht're you…" sie managed before hir head sagged back again.

"Oh, that's it. I'm taking you to a mediwitch, Malfoy."

Mark nodded. "That's probably best, but let me call Hogwarts. You know sie can't stand St. Mungo's."

Harry stroked the fine white-blond hair away from hir face as Mark pinched up some Floo powder from an urn on the mantle.

"Poppy Pomfrey, Hogwarts Infirmary!" Mark called into the flames.

At Hogwarts the Matron heard the Floo chime in her office and hurried to answer. A moment later her head was floating in the flames of Draco's office.

"Draco? Oh, it's you, Mark. How can I help you?"

"Wht're you… no Poppy. 'm fine. Jus' need to rest a little." Draco tried to lift hir hand and push Harry away, but it flopped down to hir side instead.

"Indeed," Harry frowned at the semi-conscious triarii in his arms then answered the renowned Hogwarts matron while Mark gathered up Draco's attaché. "Draco's been feeling off, having dizzy spells and sie just fainted. Sie's also disoriented and feverish. I'll never convince hir to go to St. Mungo's so we were hoping you might have a look at hir?"

"Oh that boi!" the mediwitch tsked. "Just a moment Harry, I'll have Minerva connect the Floo and you bring hir right in."

In another five minutes the witch reappeared and motioned them through. And with a nod to Mnbbark Harry took hold of the reticent triarii and stepped into the green flames.

Madame Pomfrey directed them to a bed in a private room off the main ward and Harry laid Draco down.

The mage blearily opened hir eyes, blinking at the formidable witch and wizard frowning down at him. "I had a late night. I just –"

"Just you hush, Draco Malfoy, and let me do my job. Late night…hrmph!" The witch pulled out her wand and cast several diagnostic spells and a restorative spell or two, tsking and tutting all the while. At one point she paused, a look of great surprise on her face, and recast the same spell twice. When she was satisfied the result was correct she hurried out of the room with a quiet, "Oh, my."

Harry climbed onto the bed and took Draco's clammy hand into his own. "I suppose that's not good is it?" The triarii asked a touch nervously, and much more lucid for Madame Pomfrey's intervention.

"I suppose not. Whatever it is, sweetheart," Harry paused and raised the pale hand to his warm lips, "you know I'm here for you right?"

Sie nodded and leaned into Harry's broad chest "Thanks, Potter."

Harry leaned over and kissed hir temple. "Love you."

Draco smiled briefly, "I love you."

The matron chose that moment to return carrying a store of potions on a floating tray.

"You eat barely enough to sustain a bird Draco Malfoy," she snapped as the tray settled on the bedside table. A sharp look pierced hir as she continued, "You are slightly malnourished and anaemic that is part of what is causing your fatigue and dizziness."

The mage struggled up and shook hir head. "I'm eating! Poppy, I swear it's not like before. I promised. Helene feeds me all the time! I swear I'm eating!" Draco protested like a child wrongly accused by a beloved parent.

And the mediwitch treated hir such, her regard became gentle as she stroked Draco's slender arm until sie calmed, murmuring reassurances. "I know you are, Draco. I know you're not hurting yourself with that horrible potion anymore. But we talked about this, remember? Your body will now always have difficulty processing food and absorbing nutrition. That's why you should have five or six small meals a day. You're not doing anything wrong besides eating too little, though I'm sure you are trying. But these potions I have will help you all right?"

Relatively soothed Draco turned hir face into Harry's chest. "I'm sorry, Poppy," sie sighed. "I don't mean to be such trouble."

The mediwitch shook her head softly, deep sympathy and affection filling her eyes. "You're no trouble, Draco, love. But you'll need to be on this potions regimen until further notice, all right?"

"As you say, Poppy," came the muffled reply.

Harry looked up confusedly at the mediwitch. "I don't understand. You said before, what happened?"

The matron looked to Draco who just nodded and buried hirself further in Harry's arms. "Tell him Poppy. We're together now; he has a right to know what he's burdened himself with."

"You are no burden; Draco, I love you," Harry said firmly again kissing his lover tenderly. "I love you," he repeated willing belief into every corner of Draco's psyche, "nothing will ever change that."

The mediwitch briefly smiled her approval at Harry's declaration and explained. "Draco has always been slight, in part because hir parents also had small statures, and in greater part because Draco never received the nutrition needed to grow properly."

"But…" Harry's brow furrowed.

"I had an eating disorder, Harry," Draco sighed. "Had been for most of my life. You know how my parents were. They placed a very high value on having an aesthetically pleasing heir. We never ate large meals at the Manor, and I wanted to be perfect for them so I did everything I could to look the way they wanted."

"But your mum sent you sweets all the time!" Harry argued remembering the slight envy he'd felt at seeing those numerous packages arrive, proof of parental love that he would never have.

Draco shook his head, "I didn't actually eat them, Harry. Those were mostly for show. Mother meant all those imported sweets and treats to show her largess. Gods, I would've looked like Crabbe, or Goyle if I'd eaten a quarter of what she sent me."

Uncharacteristically, the matron snorted, "Would have done you some good, I say. At least you would have had some calcium. I will never know how you didn't break every one of the bird-brittle bones in your body when you played Quidditch."

Draco offered her a small smile, "I suppose Potter here wasn't the one with all the luck after all."

"Hrmph," she handed hir a phial of murky green potion. "Luck, sie says. You're lucky that vile potion you created didn't kill you!"

Harry turned his head and met Draco's eyes, "Potion?"

Sie quaffed the green liquid and gagged. Madame Pomfrey handed hir a glass of water that Draco gulped down gratefully then sie nodded to Harry. "Sixth year. I was…rather busy, as you know," sie said shamefaced. Harry tightened his embrace supportively. "Well," Draco cleared hir throat, "I thought I'd have more time to work if I wasn't distracted."

Harry eyes widened in horror as he realised what his lover had done. "But I saw you eat. You came to meals; I was watching!"

Draco smirked, "Had your attention even then did I, Harry?"

Harry perked a brow unwilling to allow the misdirection.

"All right, yes. I went to meals and I even ate sometimes. I knew my body needed some food. But the potion made it so I could focus. If I wasn't distracted by hunger I didn't have to stop to eat. If I wasn't tired then I could work in those hours I might've been sleeping."

"Merlin, Draco, no wonder you looked so exhausted and fragile that year. A potion like that is so dangerous. You could have killed yourself!"

Madam Pomfrey frowned, "Sie nearly did. But it wasn't enough was it my boi? Tell him the rest." She crossed her arms over her chest.

And Draco sighed, "After Severus left me with the Order and you all…well you know. You remember how it was. I needed to prove myself and not cause trouble. If I didn't eat and sleep I could work on potions or spells the Order needed. Plus, if I were working I didn't have to be at the table where all the Weasleys hated me. And I'm sure Mrs. Weasley didn't slave away in the kitchen to feed the likes of me. It was better if I –"

"Better you work yourself to exhaustion and nearly starve to death you mean," the matron said plainly. "And if Remus hadn't brought you to me after you'd rescued him in that Death Eater raid on Houghton-on-Spring that's exactly what you would have done."

Half-heartedly Draco glared at the witch, "I did eat sometimes you know."

"Not nearly enough, and that potion made it so you didn't receive nearly half of the calories or nutrition from what you did ingest." The mediwitch sighed. "But that's past; you've done extremely well these last few years since the war ended, and are in nearly perfect health despite being a bit underweight and slightly malnourished at the moment. But you will have to do better still, Draco."

The triarii grimaced, thinking of what was sure to become an indulgent foods campaign. "Between Harry, Helene, Mark, and Anna I'm sure I'll look like a beached whale soon enough."

Eyes twinkling merrily, the matron turned a mischievous smile on hir, "Well I don't know that Helene, Mark, or Anna have to do with it. I'd say it was Harry's and your own doing that will have you rounding out soon enough."

Draco shot her a confused look. "As I said, the malnutrition and anaemia are part of what's causing the fatigue and dizziness Draco. They are easily remedied with these potions. However, you will need to increase your caloric intake. You eat an almost adequate amount now, but still not enough to sustain a healthy pregnancy. And I fully intend to deliver you of healthy babies."

The witch's grin broadened at their gobsmacked expressions.

"I-I'm…are you sure? I –"

"Sie's-we're…oh, Merlin!"

"Uh…did you say babies? As in baby plural?"

The mediwitch chuckled slightly, "Congratulations, Mer. Malfoy and Mr. Potter. You may expect two additions to your family in approximately seven and a half months time."

Harry turned to Draco face aglow with wonder, and love, and perhaps a smidgen of fear. "Seven and half months," he whispered. Awed, he placed a hand gently on Draco's abdomen and smiled beatifically. "It seems we had quite the Happy Christmas, love."

It may have had a very rocky start, but, in Harry's opinion, the day was definitely looking up. There were certainly challenges ahead: he had a wedding and honeymoon to plan; perhaps bridges to build between his family and friends; new duties at work; changes to work toward in the public eye; traditions to explore, adapt, and uphold…. All in all, Harry thought the days ahead would be very full and likely taxing – the nursery shopping alone might just be the end of him and the prospect of nappies was certainly daunting, but…he turned his head and shared a joyous look with his smiling veru-to-be. No matter what the days ahead would bring at least with Draco and Anna he'd achieved the belonging he'd so desperately wanted all his life. He had family of his own now and all, he knew, would be well.

End.