A/N: Chapter fourteen: another test, and more clues about Harry's secret.
This is Harry/Draco, post-Hogwarts, though the slash content is extremely light. There are very vague suggestions of other relationships as well.
I've got this all written out, and am posting one a week. There will be 23 chapters total. All that's left is the editing.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Dedication: To Foodie, who still betas me despite my predilection for slash, and for FionaFawkes, who read and reviewed every single chapter, and gave me such excellent feedback. Also, for everyone who's read and loved my Harry/Draco. This one's for you.
-----14
Lucius's first forays into movies were those Draco insisted upon watching again—Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, about which Lucius postulated proved that Death Eaters had obviously had the right idea, if this was the sort of garbage Muggles came up with; Stand by Me, which he sneered at; Elizabeth, which he seemed mildly interested in; and Gladiator, which was the one that actually managed to draw him in. Personally, Draco was unsurprised. Intrigue and Romans. What more could Lucius ask for?
The conversations after were a bit stilted, though Lucius seemed full of information about the days of the Roman gladiators, about which he knew more than Draco had expected.
Unfortunately, outside their "happy family," things were going less well for Greg. He, too, had failed the test, and Hermione was at her wit's end trying to find ways to reach him. He had taken to cooking, but it hadn't seemed to help when it had come to his testing score.
Draco felt so helpless, really. He and Greg and Vince had always been there for each other, and it was killing him not being able to do more than coach Hermione in ways to help him.
By the last week before the next test, she was visiting, owling, or flooing every day, in hopes of finding ways to help Greg pass the test. It got so Draco was more worked up about the test than he had been for any of the previous ones. Surely by now, he should be getting used to them, shouldn't he? Harry assured him that Hermione's pre-test anxieties were probably just rubbing off on him. But it didn't help that he had the worry of three tests on his shoulders—Greg's, Lucius's, and his own. The night before the test, he was so nervous, he didn't sleep at all.
Kingsley came to drive them to the Ministry again, and Draco was relieved to see that Lucius felt the need to sit up front with Lupin this time, sitting in between the two men there. He desperately needed the break. Now that he didn't have Harry's exclusive attentions any longer, he kind of missed the time he'd spent alone with him before. And wasn't that a strange thing to miss, he chuckled to himself.
He leaned against Harry's side, and felt Harry's arm wrap around him and pull him just a little closer. That was nice—Lucius had never done anything like that when he was a kid. It was always, "Sit up straight, Malfoys don't slouch." Sometimes he wished that things could have been different between him and Lucius. And sometimes, late at night, when he couldn't sleep, he wished that Harry could have been the one to care for him from the beginning. He knew it was silly, but Harry was so…nice.
The car's engine buzzing in his ears soon lulled him to sleep, and he awoke to Harry shaking him lightly. "We're here. You okay?"
Draco nodded, and sat up as quickly as he could without making his head spin, straightening his hair where it had become a bit mussed. He stumbled a bit trying to get out of the car, and when he stood up straight, Lucius was glowering at him. Draco was surprised at how little impact Lucius's de-aging had had in his ability to make Draco feel as though he had royally screwed up. He looked away, and followed Harry into the Ministry.
The test itself seemed even easier this time, and when Kingsley arrived with their results, he was extremely pleased to hear that he had managed an O this time.
"Really?" he asked with a grin.
Kingsley nodded. "I would have hated to admit this even two months ago, Draco, but you've changed a lot since you first went to live with Harry. Keep this up, and I'll be glad to sign your papers myself," he said with a slight smile.
"Thank you," Draco grinned. He turned to Harry, who was beaming at the praise Kingsley had given him.
Kingsley turned to Lucius. "You've improved, Malfoy," he said. "Not sure what it was, but you managed an A. Keep it up."
Lucius scowled at him. "Like I care what you think, you…" Lupin put a hand over Lucius's mouth, and Draco had to stifle a giggle at the outraged look on his father's face.
"Thank you, Kingsley. We'll see that he keeps up the good work," Lupin said with a slight smile.
Kingsley nodded, grinning a bit at Lucius's furious struggle for freedom. "Come on. Let's get you all home," he said, avoiding mentioning the futility of Lucius's struggle against Lupin's grip on him.
When they exited the lift at the Atrium level, Draco was pleased to see Pansy and Andromeda approaching them. "Pansy!" he called out with a grin.
She turned, and seeing him, hurried to his side, giving him a huge hug. "How are you holding up, Draco? It's not too bad, is it?" she asked.
"Nah, Harry's a softie. Even Lupin there's not as bad as I thought."
Pansy wrinkled her nose and leaned in. "Don't tell me you're actually enjoying this, Draco," she said.
He shrugged. "It's not so bad, really. Even with Lucius's attitude," he grinned.
She looked at him oddly, and would have said something more, but at that moment Andromeda interrupted. "Come along, Pansy. We should get up there before it gets too late." He saw her eyes flick to him before she grabbed Pansy's hand, and they moved towards a just-opening lift.
Draco and Pansy had always gotten on well, but now that he'd seen her again—been able to talk to her, something didn't feel quite right. He just wished he knew what it was.
◦♦☼♦◦
The drive back home wasn't nearly as comfortable as the drive to the Ministry. Harry seemed rather put out about something, and Draco couldn't help but feel hurt that he wasn't more excited because of the test results he'd gotten. After all, he'd passed. He'd gotten the highest score possible. What more could Harry want from him?
Harry stormed into the house, not even bothering to check behind him, and Lupin ushered Lucius inside, with Draco feeling rather neglected. It had been so long since he'd been left alone to do whatever he wished. And now that he was allowed more privileges, it seemed like no one particularly cared any more.
Lupin was talking quietly to Lucius when Draco finally entered the house, but Harry was nowhere to be found. He stood in the door, uncertain as to what he should do for several minutes before Lupin stood up and glanced in his direction. "Well done, Draco."
Draco nodded abstractedly, and Lupin, seeing his discomfort, came towards him. "Are you all right?" he asked. Draco shrugged. "What's wrong?"
"Harry—he just…" Draco swallowed. He hated this. He'd never allowed anyone to affect him this way before, and he certainly didn't like the way it made him feel. "I—I think he's angry at me. But I don't know why," he quickly assured Lupin. "I thought he'd be happy I'd done so well. What did I do wrong?"
Lupin sighed. "It's not you, Draco. I'm sure he's thrilled about your score. He's just—dealing with something. That's all. It's not your fault."
"Then what is it? Maybe I could help?"
Lupin's hand came down on his shoulder in a trying-to-be-comforting way. "I don't think anyone could help him right now, to be honest. Just give him some time, okay?"
Draco nodded. "I guess I'll go play, then. If that's all right?"
Lupin smiled. "Whatever works for you, Draco. I'd say you've earned it."
Draco spent the entire afternoon playing Sims, and wasn't even aware of how long he'd been there until Lupin came to retrieve him for dinner. "Supper's on the table," he grinned.
Draco looked up. "What? But I always help…"
"I know. But Harry apparently wanted to do something special for your getting an O, so he decided you could stay here until it was all finished."
Draco couldn't help wondering if he'd really wanted that, or if he just hadn't wanted to be around Draco, but when he entered the kitchen, the table was set luxuriously with a tablecloth, flowers, and Harry's best dinnerware. Lucius was sitting at the table, an eyebrow raised, but Harry was at the stove, and glanced his way as he and Lupin entered the room.
"Hey, Draco. I made your favourite meal," he smiled.
"Scallops?" Draco asked, surprised. Harry'd only served them once, and that time had been a treat as well. He obviously disliked the things himself.
Harry nodded. "With oyster mushrooms and linguini in a butter sauce."
"Sounds tremendous," Draco grinned. Maybe Lupin was right. Maybe Harry did just have something he needed to work out.
But Lucius, watching Harry's face, smirked. "Trying to get to him through his stomach, Potter?"
"That's Harry, Lucius, and no, I just felt he deserved a treat for such an amazing score. Jealous?"
Lucius snorted. "Of my own son? Hardly. I wouldn't want you sniffing after me," he said with a sneer.
Harry's face went white. "That's it, Lucius. Go to your room. Remus'll bring you a sandwich later. If you can't be civil, then you can be alone instead."
Lucius stood up, scowling. "Like I wanted to eat anything your filthy hands touched, Potter." He silenced abruptly when Lupin's hand grabbed his shoulder.
"Come along, Lucius. Time to have a bit of quiet time," he said in a calm voice, and led Lucius from the room.
The room seemed deafeningly quiet after that. To distract himself from the quiet, Draco began to serve himself some of the salad in the centre of the table, and then a huge helping of the pasta. Harry joined him quickly, and for long minutes, there was nothing but the sound of cutting and eating until Lupin returned.
"I'm sorry about that," he said as he settled back into his chair. "He's not happy, but I'll work on the rules with him, Harry, okay?"
Harry nodded, but said nothing, still thoroughly interested in the food on his plate.
Draco glanced at Lupin. "Thank you." Lupin looked at him, surprised. "For…for taking him on. I know he's not the best person, but—well, he is my father. I don't know that he'll make it through the testing. Three years is a long time. But I'm glad you didn't let them take him back, Lu—Remus."
Lupin smiled. "No problem, Draco."
