THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE THE LAST ONE.
Just wanted to forewarn you guys. My reasoning? I actually intended to make this thing more than twenty chapters, but I've since changed my mind. Why? Because I feel any other way to make it longer would be just to drag it out, and I don't want to do that. So, I'm gonna wrap this up, and then start a new one soon. But I refuse to talk about that one until this is finished, so look forward to more details on that in the next chapter :)
My updates have been really rough because of college and due to laziness. I am a dumbass and was very vague about my plotting, so it took me a while to get back on track. Plus, my teachers decide that they will assign essays to be due during the same week. Essays that make my insides cry and scream. This left little time for writing, but I did ignore my anthro professor so that I could write some of this story! Yay for slacking! Okay, review time :)
Lani-David - I admit, I have a history of writing stories and abandoning them (all my earlier works), but I refuse to abandon my works from now on. It might take me a while, but they'll all get finished :D It's why I only work on one WIP at a time, or else I'll lose interest. But yay, I'm glad you liked Chapter 16! I hope the beginning of this one makes you feel warm and snuggly again :D
Linds - They'll always kiss and make up, dearie. You know how I work :)
HedwigPig - Thank you!
Lady Slone of Snow Mt - Haha! Seriously, the whole time I was writing the Harry!Draco bickering, I was like, "Wow, this is JUST like Ron and Hermione..." so it had to be mentioned, and by who better than Ron himself? Thanks:)
Sarah - Aw, thanks so much! The way I see it is, these two will ALWAYS find something to fight about, even if it's something silly. It's just how they are. But at least they make up for it later ;) Heehee.
grin - Ah, a no-namer, eh? Hehe ;) Pfft, when it comes to Harry!Draco, my mind is ALWAYS in the gutter. My friends call me "the crazy red slash girl." It's good times. I really DON'T think they have any idea what they're fighting about half the time! Ah well. They'll be generally calm for this chapter and the next :)
Prongs - Thank you:)
Carrie Anderson - Thanks! Ron needs to keep his temper in check... That's why Hermione's good for him!
blusorami - Yeah, Napoleon is really pointless. It's kind of a bunch of tiny plots that all equal out to a big nothing, but it still cracks me up :D Anywho, I hate making you guys wait this long for a chapter, considering I was doing really well at cranking them out for a while. Pfft, and then life got in the way of my slash, bah! Thanks for reading, though:D
Hatchy - I HATE YOU FOR GOING TO ENGLAND. FOR THAT, I WILL NOT ANSWER YOUR REVIEW. (is jealous!)
saFire flamE - Thank you!
YamakitoMatsukari - Haha, a few of my friends have actually asked me if they're going to get married in this story or not. I was like, "Eh... doubtful." But they really do sound like an old married couple. They'll cool out a bit though, never fear! ;)
Kasey - Hahaha, yeah, Harry's still not comfortable with the whole "look at me, I like boys!" thing, but he'll get to talk to Tonks about it a bit in this chapter ;) She's so fun :D Thank you!
chisox727 - Aww, that's so sweet in a very threatening way! I hope I haven't made you suffer TOO badly with this wait!
lovelyloey - Ah, sigh. To each their own, right?I appreciate your criticism though :) Honesty's always the best policy. Thanks for reading :D
Angel-Wings6 - That's okay, I'm glad you're still finding time to read anyway! Thanks for sticking with me!
And really, I gotta give huge love to those of you who have stuck with this story for so long, leaving great comments and encouragement. For my first Harry!Draco work-in-progress, I'm very, very happy that I got all of you as reviewers! AH! But I'll save all this mushiness for the finale!
...And I have to give a big shout-out to "UKnowUluvMe" for giving me my first FLAME! I doubt she'll ever read this... but let me share it with you guys, just because it makes me laugh so much: "What kind of perverted violent asshole are u? U make me sick just from reading like the first chapter. I don't like slashes but I thought I would try this one before saying I do't like it, and guess what? I fricken hate it!" ...Now, to be honest, when I started reading that, I was like "Aww... :(" and then saw "THE FIRST CHAPTER." I was like "OKAY WTF!" And then "I don't like slashes..." and I lost it. I was laughing so hard that I showed all my friends. They seemed a bit pissed about that review, but I was cracking up. For fuck's sake, DON'T READ IT IF YOU DON'T LIKE SLASH! AND DON'T BLOODY WELL JUDGE IT BASED ON THE FIRST CHAPTER! Especially not THIS story. That first chapter probably threw a lot of people off, huh? Pfft. Oh well.
Question: If you have a prologue, an epilogue isn't required, right? Because I REALLY didn't think about that one LMAO. Any answers will be appreciated :)
Oh, and thank you guys for getting me up to 200 reviews! Woooo! LOVE:)
SHUT ME UP NOW! BAH! THE STORY!
Chapter 17
And as of right now
Everything is making perfect sense
After he had fallen asleep in Draco's arms, Harry had slept better than he could ever remember. Early the next morning, Harry stirred gently and stretched his arm beside him, only to discover he was alone in the bed. He heard footsteps heading toward him and slowly opened his eyes. Once he did, he caught a quick glimpse of Draco before Harry was blinded by a bright flash.
"What the hell!" Harry exclaimed, rubbing his eyes. He heard a small chuckle from Draco who proceeded to crawl on top of him and capture his lips in a sensual kiss.
"Morning, love," Draco purred. Harry blinked several times, trying to clear his vision of the colorful spots.
"What was that?" he asked. Draco tilted his head toward the night stand beside his bed. There sat a Muggle camera. Draco retrieved it again and rolled off of Harry, laying beside him.
"What's the point of this thing?" Draco asked, looking over the device with an air of disgusted interest. "The pictures don't even move."
"Then why are you playing with it?" Harry inquired with a grin. Draco rolled his eyes.
"I found it downstairs," he answered. "And who knows when you were planning to wake up. I had to keep myself entertained somehow." He immediately took another picture of Harry.
Harry cried out again and yelled, "Stop that!" Harry snatched the camera out of Draco's hand and snapped a picture of him. Draco threw his arm in front of his face to try and block the flash. He growled angrily and thrust himself on top of Harry, roughly biting his bottom lip. Harry moaned in return, rolling Draco onto his back, and kissing him deeply. He pulled back and said, "You know I'm going to have bruised lips now." Draco smirked and gave him another kiss.
"I don't care. Besides, battle wounds are rather sexy," he commented, his eyes drifting quickly to Harry's lightning-bolt scar. Harry blushed slightly and rested his head on Draco's chest, tossing the camera beside them. Draco gently ran his hand through Harry's hair, and said, "You still haven't told me what the point of a Muggle camera is."
"It's the same as a wizard camera, except the pictures don't move," Harry explained.
"That's stupid."
"Not really," Harry shrugged.
"Why have still pictures when you can have ones that move?"
"Dunno. There's a certain mystery about them–you have to guess what's happening, rather than watch an action. In Muggle photographs, it's like everything's frozen in time."
Draco was quiet for several moments. Then, he reached for the camera and held it out in front of him and Harry. He snapped a picture, both of them groaning from the brightness of the flash.
"Was that necessary?" Harry asked. Draco smiled and wrapped an arm around Harry.
"Now we're frozen in time."
-
By the afternoon, Harry and Draco had finally dragged themselves out of bed to shower and eat breakfast. Harry had contacted Mr. Weasley by owl mail, asking him if he would meet Draco for a possible job interview. Mr. Weasley's reply seemed to be a rather reluctant yes, but he requested that he speak with Harry first before meeting with Draco.
They arrived at the Ministry late in the afternoon. Harry had agreed to meet Mr. Weasley at his office in Level 1. Neither he nor Draco spoke much since arriving at the Ministry. Harry didn't ask, but he could tell Draco was nervous. If he wasn't, he certainly would have been bragging about how he was a shoe-in for any job the Ministry had to offer. In fact, Harry himself was a bit nervous for Draco. He was sure that he could convince Mr. Weasley to give Draco a job, but he was also sure Draco might just shoot his mouth off and ruin his chances.
The elevator stopped at Level 1, and they headed down the corridor. At the very end of the hall was a large, dark-wood door with a golden knocker. A small plaque hung above the knocker that read "Minister of Magic." Harry grasped the knocker and looked over to Draco.
"Ready?" he asked. Draco nodded once, but didn't speak. Harry knocked loudly and took a step back. After a moment, the door swung open. Mr. Weasley smiled brightly.
"Harry! Good to see you, come in!" he said jovially. He looked at Draco and his smile faltered slightly. He cleared his throat and said cheerfully, "Ah, Mr. Malfoy. Give us a minute?"
"Of course," Draco said stiffly. Harry offered him a small smile before entering the office, Mr. Weasley closing the door behind him. He gestured to a brightly colored chair opposite of his desk.
"Have a seat, Harry," said Mr. Weasley.
"Thank you," Harry replied and sat down. Mr. Weasley sat behind his desk and tapped his fingers a few times against the polished wood finish of his chair.
"So," Mr. Weasley started, "How have things been?"
"Oh, um, things have been fine," Harry said. "I really appreciate you meeting with Draco."
"About that," Mr. Weasley said, folding his arms on his desk. "Why are you interested in getting him a job at the Ministry?"
"Dunno. Just thought it would be easier, I guess."
"Hmm." Mr. Weasley sat back in his chair. "Let me ask you something, Harry. How much do you trust him?" Harry paused and glanced off to the side.
"Um . . . Well, I have a lot of trust in him, I suppose. I wouldn't have brought him here otherwise."
"Hmm," Mr. Weasley repeated. He sighed, and continued. "You can understand my difficulty with this situation."
"I know. The Malfoys always had a reputation for trouble," Harry admitted. Mr. Weasley nodded in agreement.
"But still, you trust him?" he asked.
"I do."
"But why? You and I both know his recent history. Should we put our trust into someone like this?" Tonks had alerted Mr. Weasley of the details concerning the murder of Nott Jugson.
"I know it sounds crazy, but he's grown up," Harry explained. Mr. Weasley still didn't appear convinced. Harry added, "He's not like his father, if that's what you're getting at. But look, Mr. Weasley–"
"Haven't I told you to call me Arthur?"
"Er, right. Look, um, Arthur . . . Anything I say isn't going to convince you unless you talk with him yourself. I think he'll prove himself worthy to work here at the Ministry."
Mr. Weasley seemed to be pondering this. Finally, he said, "All right then. I'm sure I can find something. Send him in, will you?"
"Sure. Thanks . . . Arthur," said Harry with a smile as he stood from his seat.
"Anytime, Harry. Have a good day!" Harry returned a farewell and walked back to the corridor. He opened the door to see Draco turn around quickly to face him. Draco raised his eyebrows questioningly.
"Go ahead," Harry instructed. Draco let out a deep breath and nodded. He walked casually past Harry and stopped only when Harry added, "You'll do fine. I'm sure of it." And for the first time since they arrived, Draco smiled.
"Thanks," he said. "You can go ahead home if you want. I'll be back soon."
"All right. See you," said Harry. For a split second, he almost leaned in for a kiss. However, he thought better of it and settled for a knowing grin. Draco rolled his eyes and grinned also before entering the office and closing the door behind him.
Instead of going straight home, Harry decided to go to Level 2 of the Ministry and pay a visit to Tonks. He took a flight of stairs not far from the elevator and walked down the corridor to the Auror headquarters. As usual, her office door was slightly ajar when Harry arrived. He quietly poked his head in to find Tonks, who had her feet up on the desk with the Daily Prophet unfolded on her lap. Harry wrapped gently on the door. When Tonks looked up, she smiled brightly and said cheerfully, "Hey there, stranger!" Her hair shined a blinding blue today, cut into choppy layers just above her shoulders.
"Hey," said Harry with a wave, walking into the office. He couldn't help but notice that Tonks seemed unable to wipe her smile off of her face. Harry furrowed his brow and asked, "What?"
"Nothing, nothing," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
"C'mon, Tonks. Out with it," Harry insisted. She sighed softly and laughed to herself.
"I hear you have a boyfriend."
Harry immediately drew his wand and pointed it at the door, slamming it shut. At this point, Tonks was having a fit of giggles. Harry turned to her and asked firmly, "What are you on about?"
"Oh, Harry, don't worry. I think it's great that your love life is still active, even if it's due to an unlikely person."
"Who told you?"
"I heard it from Molly Weasley just this morning. She came in to bring Arthur his lunch. I swear, she's too funny–"
"Who told her?"
"I'm pretty sure she said Ginny did. Ginny heard it from–"
"–Ron," Harry finished. He rolled his eyes and said, "Good news travels fast. Has anyone alerted the Daily Prophet yet?"
Tonks smirked and said, "Not so far in today's issue. Look, Harry. Nobody is angry or anything. But really, you could have at least told me you were gay." Harry's face turned red and he pursed his lips. Tonks laughed. "Don't be embarrassed. After all, I hear Merlin himself was gay!"
"You're making that up."
"I know. But trust me, okay? You have nothing to be ashamed of." She wiggled her eyebrows and added, "At least you picked a cute one."
"Tonks."
"Loosen up, Harry! Don't be such a poor sport. I told you, I think it's fantastic that you're in love. Besides, I thought that something was going to happen between you two, anyway."
"Am I that obvious?" Harry asked bitterly.
"Of course not, but I know you better than you think. You cared about him from the second he walked into your office. That's just how you are."
"Thanks, I guess."
"And besides–why else would you want his trial to be cancelled?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. Harry stayed silent and bit his lip. She continued, "You know my door's always open if you want to talk or anything."
"Your door's always open anyway."
"I meant that figuratively," she said. Her smile had never faded from her face, and finally, Harry gave in and smiled as well.
"Thanks," he said. He paused for a moment, and then asked, "So, wait. If Mrs. Weasley told you . . . "
"Arthur doesn't know. Not that we think he'd disapprove, but . . . Well, you know how Arthur can be. He'd have a lot of questions," Tonks said with a chuckle. Harry had to sigh in agreement. The last thing he wanted was to hear Mr. Weasley's inquiries concerning his relationship.
Harry stayed in Tonks's office for several hours, completely unaware of how long they had been talking. He found it nice, though, to finally talk to someone about his new relationship–someone that wasn't about to chew his head off. Harry had always found Tonks to be a sort of comfort in dark situations, but he never imagined himself telling her about his love life. It was the biggest relief to speak openly about his feelings for Draco without being scolded that he wasn't thinking clearly.
By the time Harry returned to his house that night, it was going on seven o'clock. When he walked into his living room, he was expecting an outburst from Draco, asking where the hell he's been. But instead, Harry was greeted by a dark, empty room. In fact, his whole house was empty. He glanced at his watch again to make sure he had the time right, but he wasn't mistaken. Draco still hadn't come home. And if that was the case . . . What happened to his interview? Harry was hoping that it had gone well, but how well would it have gone for it to take almost four hours?
Harry decided that he might as well make himself some dinner, and wait.
Sigh. I love Tonks :) Anyway, I know it was a bit short... AGAIN... but, well, that's what happens when college kicks your ass and shows no mercy :P The next one will be long again, I promise. It's gonna have to be, right? It's only proper to make the final conclusion a long one :)
So, about that next chapter: what do sex, a guest appearance from Miss Parvati Patil, and those damned unmovable pictures have in common? Nothing, really! But they're all in the next chapter! HURRAH! And guess what else? Noooo fightiiiing! Just sweet, sweet lovin'. Yaaay!
Did I promise in the last chapter that I'd reveal Draco's new job in this one? I don't recall. If so, sorry. I lied.
R/R pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease XD
