Chapter 14: Acquaintances
"So what time are Sirius and Remus coming over?" Draco asked, as he lay on their bed, watching Harry run gel through his hair.
"Erm..." Harry said, and put down the jar. He lifted his jumper sleeve and looked at his watch, "In about twenty minutes I think. Our appointment is in an hour and a half, we'll have plenty of time... it'll be fine won't it?"
Draco nodded adamantly, sitting up, "Of course. We... we'll just tell him what we know, all he needs to know, and then we'll come home. It... it'll be fine."
"Nothing to worry about." Harry said, turning to look at Draco, instead of his reflection in the mirror.
Draco nodded again, "Yup. It'll all be fine." Harry nodded and smiled at Draco, and turned to scan his reflection in the mirror. There was a loud cry from the room across the hall, and Draco stood up before Harry could turn.
"I'll go," he said, and got up from the bed. He kissed the back of Harry's neck lightly, and then wandered through to see his son and daughter.
Harry grinned at himself in the mirror, just thinking about how lucky he was to have Draco back in his life. Draco had been living with Harry and the twins for a month now, and it was the best month of Harry's life. Towards the end, the twins, now two months old, had started sleeping longer, giving Harry and Draco more personal time. Draco was being accepted as Harry's partner, now everyone had seen that he wasn't going to leave him.
Harry looked over his clothes appraisingly – Draco had chosen. He wore slightly baggy black trousers, with black trainers. He had on a white pinstripe shirt underneath a black wool jumper, cuffs, collar and tail seen at the edges. His hair was messy and spiky, and he thought he looked smart, and Draco thought he looked 'absolutely fucking gorgeous.' Either way was fine with Harry.
He walked into the nursery and walked over to Draco who was holding Persephone, facing the window. He rested his head on his shoulder and watched her feeding.
"You OK?" He asked.
"Nervous," Draco admitted, "But I'll be fine. I'm more worried about you."
Harry shuffled uncomfortably, "Look, I'm not saying it's going to be easy for me. At all really, but I need to go back. I... I dunno I need to go back to prove to myself that I can. That even after all that shit, I can go back. OK?"
Draco nodded and pulled the bottle out of Persephone's mouth. Harry moved away, knowing that he could very likely be thrown up on if he didn't. Draco rested her over his shoulder and gently began patting her on the back.
The doorbell rang, and then the door opened. Harry smiled at Draco and kissed him gently. He walked quickly out of the room, to tell them off for making so much noise.
Twenty minutes later they left the house, to head for the Apparition area that Severus had set up after Harry moved in. Draco wore a different shirt – Persephone had thrown up after her bottle.
"Ready?" Draco asked. He was going to Apparate the two of them to The Leaky Cauldron then they were going to Floo to The Three Broomsticks and walk to Hogwarts to meet Dumbledore.
Harry nodded, "Sure. Let's get this over with."
Smiling soothingly Draco held Harry's hand and closed his eyes, and Apparated them to the Leaky Cauldron with a quiet 'Pop!'
When they appeared, in the designated area for Apparition, in one corner of the quiet pub, Harry opened his eyes, waiting for a big commotion, something at least. But there wasn't a person in the pub, which had taken any notice of the two wizards who appeared from thin air. Harry shot Draco a bemused look and Draco smiled slightly, but pulled Harry away from where they were standing.
"Loads of people Apparate in here everyday, Har. Partly why I just moved us out the way, someone else will be coming in soon. It's not a big deal Apparating in here. It's fine. Now, lets go...oh!" he said inadvertently.
Harry said nothing. He opened his mouth once and immediately shut it. Their little trip was going down hill faster than a train. And it looked like it was about to crash.
"R...R... Weasley..." Harry said, quickly regaining some of his self-confidence. He quickly looked Ron over. He hadn't seen his ex best friend, in how long? Ten months? Eleven even? Whatever amount of time it had been, the months hadn't exactly worked in the mans favour.
Harry didn't really know what had happened to him. He could guess pretty well, he suspected that the absence of Quidditch practise or at least regular exercise had been a factor. Maybe that Ron now had a desk job at the Ministry and spent his entire day sitting down rather than wandering around Hogwarts for hours on end every day. He could even stretch to the fact that Ron was now at home and being constantly subjected to Mrs Weasleys meals all day, every day. The woman may not like him, and he may not even like the woman, but he couldn't dispute the fact that she was a fantastic cook. And he looked as if he hadn't had a shave for a few weeks, and had a lot of red stubble littering his face. He found himself wondering how such a proud, meticulous person such as Hermione put up with him being... well... such a slob.
"Potter." Ron spat, "What are you doing here? No one has seen you for ages... not that anyone really cares..."
"Ron..." Hermione warned, putting a hand on his arm to stop him walking forwards. Hermione looked pretty damn good, Harry had to give her that, Although she looked as if she had some wrinkles that hadn't been there before, maybe the stress of the war had finally come to the surface and was showing on her otherwise pretty face.
"Yeah Weasel, listen to the little wife. Under the thumb anyone?" Draco retorted sarcastically.
Harry would have loved to interrupt here, telling him to leave it, and knowing that he would do just that, but knew Draco might have a go at him later.
"Ohh... just fuck off, Malfoy, back to your Death Eater father." Ron said back to him, flustered already.
Hermione remained silent, watching Harry and Draco's interactions carefully. She chanced a small smile at Harry, who looked back neutrally. 'Did Hermione not agree with Ron? Now that I think about it...' he thought, 'She was never really in any of the fights. But she never stuck up for me... and really... I think that is nearly as bad.'
Draco struck a thoughtful position, and said carefully, "Yes Weasley. My Death Eater father. Only one fucking problem. I'm not a Death Eater. No Dark Mark. So you can keep that little fantasy to yourself all right? C'mon Harry, let's go..."
"Yeah Potter, go along to your boyfriend!" Ron taunted.
Harry, who had turned to Floo away, turned around to face Ron, eyes gleaming.
"Got a problem with that?"
"Yeah, it's not natural, blokes with blokes, it's just not right!!" Ron yelled.
"Oh, get lost Ron. You only have a problem because you're insecure about yourself. No one can be that straight. And so what if Draco is my boyfriend?" Harry placed his hand strategically on Draco's arse, pulling him closer, and looked determinedly at Ron.
"You're the Boy Who Lived, it's just not right! You can't be... together (He shuddered slightly). He's a Death Eater!" Ron yelled at Harry. Other patrons of the pub were beginning to look at them.
"He is not a Death Eater. Believe me. There is no Dark Mark. And believe me, I've seen him all over. And I don't care who knows about us. I'm not ashamed of us. Why should I be? I love him. It's not like I'm ever going to see anyone in here of my own free will. I don't care. And leave him alone. He's no more a Death Eater than you... unless there's something you'd like to tell us Ron?" Harry asked suggestively.
Ron spluttered. Hermione opened her mouth in surprise at Harry's vehemence. Draco inwardly cheered and placed his own hand in Harry's back pocket.
"What the hell are you saying? You think I'm a Death Eater? Are you mad, do you not know me but at all?" he shouted.
"No, I don't know you. Not anymore. Used to, but now, I couldn't give a toss and I don't want to either. You don't know me at all either. And you don't know Draco. You can't judge us at all. Same as we can't and won't to you." Harry hissed, almost slipping into Parseltongue.
"Oh fuck off!" Ron yelled again.
"Worst you got Weasley? Believe me, I am not surprised." Harry sneered, almost reminiscent of Draco in their younger years. Draco made a note to look more into Harry's Slytherin side, which was so very obvious at the moment.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Ron demanded.
"What ever you want it to mean." Harry said calmly.
Ron spluttered, and Hermione rested her hand on his arm, only to be roughly shaken off. Harry scowled.
"Let's go." Harry said, throwing Floo powder into the fireplace. It wasn't a suggestion. Draco gave a curt nod and he and Harry stood into the fireplace of emerald green flames. With a final sharp look at Ron, Harry sneered, "The Three Broomsticks", before falling into Draco's comforting embrace.
As soon as the two men came tumbling out of the fireplace in the Three Broomsticks, Draco wrapped his arms around Harry's silently shuddering form. Casting an evil looking 'don't fucking speak to me' look to the entire pub, he gently pulled Harry away from the prying eyes of the patrons of the pub.
Feeling Harry's knees start to give way beneath him, Draco guided the two of them to sit on the dark dusty road outside the pub. Leaning against the walls, he pulled Harry towards him, as close as he could, trying to make the pain go away.
An incomprehensible amount of time later, Draco didn't know if the span of time had been minutes or hours, Harry looked up, through blurry, blood shot eyes, and landed a slightly sloppy, wet kiss against Draco's lips.
"M'sorry..." he muttered against his lips.
Draco pulled away, and said, "You have nothing to be sorry about. It was all that wankers' fault, starting on you like that. You did fucking brilliantly."
Harry smiled lightly at him and said quietly, "You think?"
"Bloody brilliant. Did you see him spluttering there? I don't think I've ever seen you like that before, Harry." Draco told him, resting his chin in Harry's mess of ebony hair.
Harry smiled gently.
Draco continued, "I mean... you looked... so intimidating, and angry. I mean, I could feel the power on you. Just like Dumbledore.... Have... have you simmered down now?"
Harry gave a short laugh, and sniffed, "I... I feel like that when I do magic. Worse though. I... I feel all the hate I had to feel when I killed Voldemort... it just all comes flooding back to me... being there, around a lot of magic, I think it kind of sensitised me... I could feel all the magic buzzing around me, going through me... it's horrible."
"Oh." Draco said, unsure of what he had just been told, "So... you feel like that around all magic?"
Harry shrugged, not really caring, "I dunno. I mean I think I was so aggressive at the twins birth because I had to cast magic. But at the end of last year, before you left, it was fine. I think that it was because I was with you, my soul mate. But when you left... and right after I killed Voldemort... I was such an arsehole. I'm surprised any one spoke to me at all really."
"You... you think I'm your soul mate?"
"You are. The father of my kids, love of my life. So fucking cheesy... but also so fucking true. It's just in there... it all was too much for me... I tried but, well, it didn't work very well did it?" Harry said, slightly sadly.
"No," Draco admitted reluctantly. "But you scared the hell out of Granger and Weasley. That's always fun."
Harry chuckled, "OK, yeah that does make things a little better. It's quite nice getting one over on Ron. Not exactly hard though?"
"Harry, you get any bitchier, and I'll make you an appointment-only Slytherin,"Draco joked.
Harry laughed, and said, "One day, I'll have to tell you the whole story of my Sorting. But now... we need to go to our shitty meeting."
"Hmm... I'm going to hold you to that you know?" Draco said accusingly.
"Count on it," Harry beamed, and kissed Draco softly. Before he could respond, Harry pulled back and stood up. He held out a hand and smiled sweetly down at the blonde.
Draco put his hand in Harry's and let himself be pulled up to standing. Raising a hand gently, he wiped away the shining trails of tears from Harry's golden face. Harry closed his eyes and sighed.
"I love you. Thank you... for just being here." Harry said, his eyes wide and sparkling.
Draco's heart flew to his mouth and he said, with a lump in his throat. "It's OK. And I love you too."
"Good." Harry smiled and joked, "Cos, I'd have to hit you if you didn't."
They began to walk down the path to Hogwarts, hand in hand.
A leisurely twenty-minute walk later, and Harry and Draco came to the gates of Hogwarts. They stood high and tall, made of sturdy black metal, practically radiating with protective magic.
Draco turned to Harry, who stood gazing at the statue inside the grounds of a lion standing proudly, a snake twisted around its feet with a badger by the lions side and a raven resting on the lions shoulder. Draco took both Harrys hands and Harry reluctantly tugged his eyes from the magnificent castle.
"Harry," Draco began seriously, "If at any time, any time you feel so uncomfortable you want to leave, please just tell me. You are so much more important that what I have to say –"
"How can you say that?" Harry asked harshly, letting go of Draco's hands, "There are so many lives at risk with what you have to say... it shouldn't matter. I'll get over it."
Draco shook his head sadly, "No. One more bad experience with magic and I honestly think you'll turn away for good. And you are more important that this. I expect a lot of it is already theorised. I'm just confirming a lot of it. Harry you're the...father of my children. I love you. You'll always be the most important thing in my life."
"Really?" Harry sniffed, looking up through his fringe, making Draco realise just how young Harry looked, and how innocent and naïve he was of the ways of the world.
"Would I really say something so sickeningly romantic if I didn't mean it?" Draco asked.
Harry laughed and shook his head, "About the twins Drake..."
"Do you not want to mention them?"
"If it's at all possible... then no." Harry admitted.
"Then it is done." Draco said simply.
The two men stood looking at the castle for a few minutes before Harry said huskily, "Come on. Let's go. Let's get this over with."
Draco said nothing, just took Harry's hand, and opened the gates, and began to lead them through the grounds of Hogwarts.
"Why the fuck didn't we get an appointment that was during school hours?" Draco muttered under his breath as they arrived in the main courtyard outside the Entrance Hall. There were a dozen or so students milling around during their break, one of them being –
"Ginny!" Harry exclaimed involuntarily.
The red head spun around at her name and started slightly when she saw Harry loosely holding Draco Malfoys hand.
She took a cautious step forwards, and Harry let go of the pale hand in his own. He stepped forwards, not knowing what to do.
After Harry had killed Voldemort, and really before he hadn't been best friends with Ginny. She was his best friends kid sister, he hugged her at Christmas, bought her a birthday present when he remembered and teased her about her boyfriends. They'd never been spectacularly close, but he'd always liked the girl and had wanted and expected to keep in touch with her, but when Ron had begun to influence the house because of Percy's death she had begun to distance herself, exchanging a few civil words but not very much. She'd shot him sympathetic looks when he sat alone, often looking like she wished to sit with him, maybe even comfort him, buts had been too scared to do so. He'd not made an issue of it; she was Ron's little sister after all. He expected her to either agree with him, or just to back him because he was the only family she had at school. Harry knew and respected that there was more than one kind of loyalty, one being personal, and another being to ones family.
She took another step forwards and Harry was very, very unsure of whether the look on her face meant she was going to yell at him the hug him, apologise then hug him, or just slap him and tell him to fuck off, that he had no right being here.
'Fuck, shit, wank, bollocks, what is she going to do? What am I going to do? What is Draco going to do? Am I going to explain... do I want to? Why am I asking myself loads of daft questions I have about as much possibility of answering as I have bungee jumping off Big-bloody-Ben. That could be interesting... no. Ginny. Concentrate on Ginny.' Harry thought and tuned back in.
"Gin?" Harry said warily.
"Harry..." Ginny said back, moving to be only a few feet away from him. Looking pensive she threw her arms around his neck hugging him tentatively. Frozen for a moment, Harry hugged her gently back and heard her whisper, "It's so lovely to see you."
Ginny let go and Harry took a step back, feeling Draco's comforting presence close behind him.
"What... what..." she stuttered, noting their closeness (and Draco's hand on Harry's arse).
"We're going to see Dumbledore... we need a talk." Harry said.
Ginny nodded, obviously knowing there was something going on she didn't know about, but also that Harry wasn't about to tell her.
"And... what about you two then? Is it a good idea? And how long has it been going on?" Ginny asked. She knew that Harry wasn't stupid enough to get involved with a Malfoy if he was involved in the Dark Arts, but she felt obligated to ask.
"It's a perfectly fine idea. Nothing... like that (Ginny knew he was referring to the Death Eaters) happened with Draco. It was ... unfortunate circumstances that meant he was away at the end of the year. And it's been going on since Christmas. Last Christmas." Harry said.
"A year?" Ginny exclaimed.
"Yes Weasley," Draco drawled, "One year, two months and eight days I believe."
"You counted?" Harry smiled sweetly, "You're so cute." Harry kissed him quickly on the side of his cheek.
"Potter, don't call me cute," Draco said, wiping his cheek.
"Malfoy," Harry said imitating his tone, "Don't call me Potter."
Ginny laughed and interrupted them, "Oh you're adorable. Knew that you couldn't hate each other that much. You had to be compensating for something. Harry... please keep in touch... I'm... I'm not Ron you know. I just never knew how to apologise for all he'd done. Then you disappeared... I didn't know what to do... I'm... I'm really sorry."
Harry smiled slightly, and Draco relaxed slightly behind him, something Harry took for approval. Not that he needed his approval. But it was nice. "Ginny, it's OK. I... I understand. I'll Owl you or something. Could you not mention you saw us to your brother. We had a run in earlier..."
Ginny tutted, "Honestly, I don't know what's gotten into Ron over the last year and a half." Harry was inexplicably reminded of Mrs Weasley.
"It doesn't matter. I don't want anything at all to do with him. Listen, we've gotta go...we're late already...I'll see soon. I promise." Harry said. Ginny nodded at him, and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. She hesitated slightly before kissing Draco as well. He didn't show any surprise, but inside he was very glad. For some reason he had a strange urge to be accepted by Harry's friends.
Ginny smiled again, turned to return to her friends, and Draco and Harry left as well, hands falling comfortably into each others. They walked up to the doors and Harry put a hand on the handle. He pulled hard and the door creaked open, letting a beam of light fall across the dark hall. Draco smiled at Harry reassuringly, and Harry returned it, walking in, head up and shoulders back, ready to face the life he left behind.
A/N- Sorry this is late. Like really late. But thatnk you for reviewing everyone. Visit my livejournal (link in my bio) for review responces. They'll be up... soon. Thank you again, and review!!