Title: How do you know?
Author: A very lonely, LonelyNoMore
Disclaimer: Everything that you recognize is owned by the eloquent Mrs. JKRowling, and those affiliated with her. If you don't recognize it, it's mine, and I don't have much, though if JKR wants to use any of this (especially the Harry/Draco part HINT! HINT!) she is more the welcome to! After all, she created this lovely universe.
Rating: I am going to play it safe with an "R" or "M" rating for language, and whatever else I throw in here.
A/N: No reviews from last update. If I wasn't already depressed, this would depress me, but alas, it just adds to the knowledge that I fuck up everything I try to do.
When I was abandoned by all, you said
"It will be okay."
How do you know?
Against my better judgment, I fell in love with you.
I knew my life was chaos, and always will be, don't ask, I don't know why…
That's just my life.
The weeks following graduation were bittersweet. Draco had Harry by his side, but there was still so much turmoil in the air that Draco was ready to break. Harry was helping in planning Ron and Hermione's wedding. Draco knew that he should have seen this coming, but he kept telling himself that Granger would wait until after she was done with university. As it was, they decided that they couldn't wait.
"What are you doing today?"
"Going over to the burrow to get Ron and take him for his dress robes, want to come?"
"Weasley getting new dress robes, eh? "
"You can come if you want, but no tormenting him Draco, I mean it."
"I don't know if I could do it, honestly Harry, do you think I could go shopping with the Weasel without making any comment?"
"I didn't say without any comments, just don't taunt him."
"Exactly, no comments."
"You are incorrigible."
"I know, but that's why you love me."
"Okay, so you're not going with me, what will you be doing today?"
"I guess I will head back over to the Ministry to see if they freed up any of my inheritance yet."
"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you? We could do that after lunch."
"No. I will go this morning. There are some things I can do without you, you know. I don't need the Man-Who-Lived-to-Save-All to save me from those pompous beaurocrats."
"If you are sure, then fine. But if you need anything just let me know."
"I know, I know! Now go get Weasel some decent dress robes, or Hermione will hex you, you know."
"I know, okay, I will see you later then, will you be here when I get back?"
"Why Mr. Potter! I know that you are insatiable, but you need me in the afternoon as well!"
"Yes you little shit. But not for that, I just want to spend some time with you."
"Not for that? Harry James Potter, did I just hear you correctly? You want me to come back over to your apartment in muggle London no less, and you aren't even going to have sex with me for all of that? I am severely disappointed. I don't know that I will now."
"Merlin! Is that all you ever think about?"
"Well, those black dress slacks hug your arse so nicely that I can't help myself."
"Okay, okay, I get it, I better get going. I love you. Be careful down there."
"Yes Mr. Potter, I will behave myself at the Ministry today. I promise to act like a good boy, at least as long as they do as well. Don't be looking at the Weasel while he changes. "
"Bye." Harry just shook his head as he flooed over to the burrow. Draco sat looking at the fire where Harry had just left. They had graduated a little over a month ago now, and he still wasn't allowed to have any of his inheritance. The ministry had put a freeze on all death eaters' accounts at Gringotts pending further investigation. Even though Lucius was dead, his account was frozen as well because the ministry still liked to play with Draco. He assumed that this was his punishment for not taking sides during the war. Couldn't they see…he couldn't face his father with the possibility of having to kill the man, but he couldn't face Harry either, because he couldn't bear to see anything done to him as well? The better man won, and now everyone was now okay. But the ministry took it upon themselves to make Draco's life hell. He still had his own vault, which his father had set aside for him when he started school at Hogwarts, but that money was hastily disappearing since he wasn't working to replace any of it.
"Good afternoon Mr. Malfoy, may I check your wand?"
"Eric. Please its Draco Malfoy, Mr. Malfoy was my father, I don't ever want to be called that again."
"Yessir. Sorry sir."
"Where may I find Kingsley Shacklebolt?"
"Umm, third floor off the lifts, to your left, in the last cubicle, sir."
"Thank you Eric."
Stepping off the lifts and into the hall of the Auror's Division Floor, Draco was again reminded of how cruel fate can be. Almost every head that went by gave a double take. Lucius was so very pleased that his son looked so like him. Well, at least somebody was happy about that, Draco snorted, 'how ironic, the man I hate more than anything, and I look just like him'. Draco found Kingsley and proceeded to ask him how the investigation was going. Shacklebolt knew that Draco was no death eater; he had been at Hogwarts the night that Harry had brought a limp Draco through the doors and proceeded to explain how this arrogant little ferret had indeed saved the wizarding world's savior. He knew that Draco would lose everything after that, and indeed he did. Lucius had been taken to Azkaban where he later committed suicide after the shame of his son's betrayal was made public. Narcissa had died during the war, and was another reason that Draco did not want involved with it. The young man had been through so much, and even though he saved Harry Potter and it was across ever wizarding news line there was, he was still held at length because of his father's alliances. It was not fair, but Draco had learned early in life, that life is not fair. Kinglsey was one of very few aurors that would even consider helping Draco settle his affairs. But alas, it was difficult even for a very prominent auror to cut through all that beaurocratic red tape that had Malfoy pinned to the wall.
"What do you mean they haven't continued the investigation? They were to have it finished by the time I graduated!"
"I know Draco, I know. I don't know what to tell you. Someone very high up wants to keep you out of your inheritance, and out of the Manor."
"I could care less about that stupid house, I was planning on selling it anyways, I just want to be able to buy a nice house, and go on to University, but I can not do that with what I have left…This is ridiculous! I am Draco Malfoy; I should not have to beg to gain entrance to my own inheritance! It is mine by birthright! NOT ONLY, did I save sodding Potter, but I've been dating him for months now! Would you tell me how it would be possible for a death eater to have Harry Potter at his beck and call? I know I do, but not one of my father's colleagues managed it, do you know why? They were fucking Death Eaters! I AM NOT! Why is that so hard to swallow?"
"Draco, calm down now, you're preaching to the choir here son. I know that you are no death eater, and never were. You know how the red tape around here seems to get thicker day by day. Just relax, and let me keep working on it. Okay?"
"I'm sorry Kinglsey, I know it's not you, it's just everywhere I turn, I'm followed by my father fucking shadow. I can't escape it."
"You will Draco, with time and patience, you will. How is Harry doing?"
"Good, real sodding good. He's helping Weasley pick out dress robes for the upcoming wedding. He's helping them out an awful lot with it."
"Sounds like someone is jealous to me."
"Jealous? Of the Weasel and the Mud, err, sorry about that, and granger? What would I have to be jealous of them?"
"They are getting married, and moving on with their life…I think you resent them, because you wish that you and Harry could as well."
"Don't quit your day job Shacklebolt. Divination is not your strong point. I will check back with you in a few more weeks. Let me know if anything comes up."
"Will do. Draco?"
"Yes."
"Take care of yourself, your looking a bit puckish, Harry loves you, and I don't know what he would do without you."
"Why Kingsley, I'm flattered, I just haven't been sleeping well with all of this going on. Thank you though, I will."
With that Draco left to get on the lifts. On his way out he overheard the old hag on his right mutter "faggot" under her breath. Draco turned to say something, but it was too late, the lift was gone. Draco made his way through the hall, past the statue of magical creatures, and couldn't help but to pause and make a wish, tossing in a few sickles. There, now maybe my day will go a bit better.
"You there, aren't you Potter's leftovers?" Draco whirled around to see the man who had the audacity to say such a thing. 'Gods' he thought 'I just want to go back to Harry's apartment and relax a little.' As he turned around he was shocked by the familiar sight.
"Moody. As great as a pleasure as it is to see you again and none too soon I can assure you, I have to get going, I'm running late as is."
"Listen here you little piece of trash. I've got some news for ya. You don't mean a thing to Potter. You're just a fuck until he finds something better. Surely you don't think you are good enough for'im, do ya? But let me find out you hurt'im, and it will be the last thing that you do."
The entire time that magical eye of his was roving all over. Draco felt very much "undressed" by the experience.
"Let me assure you Mad-Eye that not only will I never hurt Harry, but I have it on very good authority that he will not get rid of me, though you are right, I don't deserve him. Harry is far better than us all; even you wouldn't be good enough for the likes of him. But Harry is a big boy, and can choose his play-mates on his own now. So if you'll excuse me."
Draco turned back and headed towards the fires, he was going to walk, but after his morning he was just going to floo back. As he turned he heard Moody mutter under his breathe "You don't deserve to lick Potter's boots, you son of swine." Yup floo it is. As he stepped in the fire he announced his next stop, "The Leaky Cauldron."
Harry had been back at his apartment for quite awhile now and was beginning to get worried. He had even had lunch with Ron after they left Madam Malkins, and he even got Draco a gift, but after stepping into his apartment he discovered that Draco wasn't back yet. Two hours later, Harry was still waiting, pacing in front of the hearth. Harry decided to check Draco's apartment, he fire called, but it was empty. He then decided to call Kingsley; surely he would know where Draco was. But he left Harry feeling even more uneasy. Draco had gotten done there by eleven, it was half past 5, and surely Draco didn't go shopping today? Harry was getting even more worried when the hearth blew green smoke in the air and then Draco appeared.
"Hawry! I din-na think ood be back 'ere already. 'id the Weasel forget 'is purse?"
"Draco, why are you drunk? Where have you been? Didn't you know that I would worry when I got back here and you were still gone? You said you were just going to the ministry? Is everything okay?"
Draco shook his head and tried to get the answers straight in his head, but he couldn't quite wrap his brain around them.
"Easy 'ere Hawry. I just went to the pub for a bit. I didn't think that you'd mind, I mean, I'm jus leftovers…right? I didna wan to deesturb your main course."
"Draco? What in God's name? Who told you that? I love you Draco, you know that I love you, where would you ever get an idea like that? "
"Hawry! Too many questions…easy…Nobody had to tell me 'at. I'm shnot shtupid ya know. Nobody likes shloppy sheconds. I was jus foolin meshelf."
"Draco, I can't do this while you are like this." Harry raced to the lavatory. "Here take this, it's the sober quick potion you had made for me. " Draco swallowed the whole bottle, and then quickly grabbed his head.
"Shite Potter! This hurts!"
"Well, maybe you won't drink so much next time."
"Grab me a pain potion."
"No, not until you tell me what's going on with you."
"You really want to know? Fine. My inheritance is still frozen because some prat at the ministry still thinks I'm a sodding death eater, and the paper work is so backed up around it that even Kingsley is getting lost in it. Then I went to leave and some old woman called me a...a…faggot, and before I could tell her where she could shove her opinions, the lift was gone, then your buddy Mad- Eye told me exactly what he thought of us. Believe me it was quite the picture he painted. So I stopped at the pub to grab a drink and relax and the more I thought about it the more I saw that they were all right. I'm just a silly faggot. Potter doesn't deserve some one else's sloppy seconds, thirds, or any left over. You are Harry bleeding Potter for shites sake. You can have anyone in the world. What would you want with a nobody like me?"
"Why do you think that you are a nobody Draco?"
"Where would you like me to start? The fact that all my so called friends have completely ignored me since saving you, my family is all gone, my inheritance is so far from reach that even "Accio" couldn't retrieve it, and I'm a used piece of shit. I wouldn't want me. I'd have gone after the hottest little virgin I could find."
"That's exactly what you did isn't it?" Draco had to laugh.
"I guess I did, but I still don't know why you would want me when my entire life is chaos. It always will be, I don't know why, don't ask, it just will. That's just my lot in life, that and to love you. I don't know why, but I fell in love with you despite everything we've ever done to each other. I still don't know how you could want me."
"I love you too Draco. It will be okay."
As Draco lay in bed that night, he couldn't help but wonder why.