If there was one thing Harry had understood over the years it was that life is unpredictable. He would never have thought of surviving the battle against Lord Voldemort, or of getting married, having children and divorcing. Okay, perhaps he was expecting this last thing.
He had had a pretty happy marriage with Ginny; she had been a brave girl turned into a wonderful woman. They had shared a lot, experiences, emotions, everyday life and it was this last thing that killed them. They had taken so much for granted that they had stopped looking at each other, understanding each other, looking for each other, talking to each other.
It happened more and more often that they slept apart or did not speak to each other for days: their love, born in adversity, had resulted in boredom and apathy. Neither of them was happy with the way things were moving and one day they started talking about divorce.
It had happened on an ordinary morning.
Their children were at Hogwarts and the two of them were drowning in the silence of Grimmauld Place.
"Harry, I think we should end it here."
Ginny's words had hit him like a bolt from the blue; he had noticed some changes, including the decrease in their sexual relations, but he would never, ever think of ending their relationship.
"Should we stop it?"
"I've thought about it, Harry. I... I love you, I respect everything you've done and I respect you very much but... "
"You do not love me anymore."
"I do not love you anymore."
That was enough for him and he nodded. It was the spontaneous acceptance that made him open his eyes: he too no longer believed in what their love had been.
The hardest part had been communicating it to their children. They were both afraid that they would not understand, that they would be mad as hell... and instead they did not. Only Lily had whimpered a little but a long hug was enough to make her feel better.
Their marriage ended like this, with a hug and a signature on a ministerial document. He and Ginny hadn't even argued about custody of the children: from September to July they would be at Hogwarts and during the holidays they could choose where to stay. Albus and Lily had preferred to stay in Grimmauld Place with Ginny while James had moved to Streatham Common with his father: he had conquered a room of his own!
Both Molly and Arthur, however, had insisted for Harry to still take part in the festivities with the Weasleys; on the other hand, they had been his family from the earliest days of school. He had accepted and, even if it was a bit strange at first, Ron and Hermione had remained close to him. A couple of George's jokes were enough to release the tension and everything was back to normal.
"Normal".
What a big word.
Addressing to Ginny using her name rather than a standard affectionate nickname had been hard; a couple of times he had missed a "darling" but, luckily, he had gone unnoticed.
It had all been so quiet and civil that Harry and Ginny had even exchanged a Christmas present. She had given him a scarf in a beautiful shade of burgundy while he had bought her a book on the history of Quidditch including historical photographs and a replica of the first golden snitch. Both seemed very satisfied and had resumed exchanging information about their children.
After dinner James, Albus and Lily had expressed the desire to stay and sleep with their cousins; neither of them had had the courage to deny them the thing and they had satisfied them. When it was past midnight the two had greeted Molly and Arthur and had gone out with the intention of retiring. Harry didn't really want to go home. He had spent the whole autumn alone in the apartment in Streatham but that was Christmas evening and he didn't want to stand alone and look at the lights from the window, it reminded him too much of his childhood with the Dursleys. He went beyond the confines and mulled over the fact that there was only one place where he could spend time with someone; he materialized in Hogsmeade and walked along the snowy road that led to "The Three Broomsticks". There he could have a chat with some wizards and have a couple of Incendiary Whiskeys before going to bed.
He was surprised, however, to find another person standing right outside the same place. He instinctively approached him and immediately recognized the magician who was hiding under the heavy green myrtle cloak. He remained next to the man in absolute silence, put his hands in his pockets and paused to look at the sign surrounded by colored lights. He wasn't sure but he had the impression that, from time to time, the other had thrown him a few glances too. Indeed, it was he who broke the ice.
"What are you doing here, Potter? Don't you have any stupid game to play with your happy little family?"
"No, everyone's asleep," Harry lied, hiding a bitter smile. "Scorpius?"
"He sleeps at the Manor with my parents," said the other. "I didn't feel like going home alone."
"I understand you, Malfoy."
Draco had grinned in disbelief. "What do you want to understand?"
Harry shrugged and turned to the other. He hadn't had a traumatic year like Malfoy's but his hadn't been exactly idyllic either. "Ginny and I broke up," he admitted frankly and went back to looking at the pub sign. Saying it out loud immediately made it true. He and Ginny broke up.
Malfoy twisted his lips and heaved a long sigh.
"Do we want to talk about it inside?"
"You offer?"
"You're the rich one, Potter. I offered last time."
As he remembered that evening, Harry barely held back a smile, he never thought he'd find a friend in Draco Malfoy. In fact, he had started dating him while the Greengrass was sick. They had met several times at "The Three Broomsticks" to drink and talk; neither of them had made an appointment. They just found themselves at the right time each time.
- Potter. -
- Uh? Malfoy? What are you doing here? -
- I have to make a report. - Draco said.
- Oh, yeah, um, ok, that's what I'm here for. -
Malfoy had always been a keen observer of his rules which, in this case, forbade him to sit down without being invited to do so. He didn't mind standing up and watching how that villain Potter tried to find the form he needed. When he had recovered it he ran a hand through his already messy hair and looked up at Draco.
- Why are you still standing? Sit down! At your age, imagine if you can still stretch. -
The man frowned and wanted to answer him with some sour joke but he was too agitated to claim his superiority over Harry. He just sat down composed in front of the other and threw an annoyed look at him. Potter must have noticed this, and for that, after adjusting his glasses, he gave him an affable smile.
- What happened? -
- I have lost my Dematerialization license, - said the other.
Harry looked up at him and dipped the quill in the blue ink. - Your license? -
- Yes. When I accompanied Scorpius to the station this morning I had it in my pocket but, when I reached my office, I realized I no longer had it. -
Potter mumbled something undefined and scribbled something on the form.
- Probably you will have dropped it. You will never have to retake the exam again but it will take a couple of weeks before they send you a new copy. -
- What the fuck, we just lacked that, - Malfoy snorted.
- I can issue you a Provisional Transport Document, so that you can still materialize without problems. -
- Thanks Potter, - Draco replied. He let the other fill out the form and, when he finished, he signed it where necessary.
- Imagine, it's my job. Will you have my license shipped to the Manor or do you have another address? -
- I would prefer to receive it at the Department of Mysteries. I haven't been home much lately. -
- Heavy weeks? -
- You can imagine how bad it was, I suppose. -
- There was a lot of people coming and going here too, - said Harry. - Wizards go crazy during Christmas. -
- They don't even look where they step, - Draco complained. - They squashed Scorpius' toad last week. Fortunately, he didn't get hurt very much, but a little more attention would have been welcome. -
- Does your child have a toad? - Harry asked, holding back a laugh.
- What have you got against toads? - Draco asked, narrowing his eyes.
- Nothing, it's just… Malfoys don't look like toads to me. More like cats or ferrets, - he chuckled.
- Ha, ha, ha. I'm dying of laughing, - replied the other stoic.
- Lily's got a toad too, - Harry said. - Albus has a cat while James has a golden mouse. -
Malfoy wanted so badly to tell him that he didn't care much for the animals of Potter's offspring but he just shrugged. The truth was that he, over time, he had tried to change his attitude. He had succeeded thanks to the help and support of Astoria who, with her good heart, had taught him to love others. Or, at least, he had tried.
When she got sick she had asked him not to go back to being the same boy as before. She had asked him to "show the world how gorgeous Draco Malfoy was"… too bad he only wanted to shine for her. He missed her so much on winter and summer nights; looking around in his bed and not finding her beside him was the worst feeling in the world. Since he had lost her, Draco had understood the true meaning of loneliness.
Astoria wasn't coming back, and all Draco could do to keep the memory alive was to try hard to be nice to others as well. Luckily, he and Harry had mended their relationship one snowy night. They had talked over four mugs of Butterbeer and shared experiences and emotions; Draco had friends, his schoolmates, but he hadn't been able to talk to them as openly as he had with Potter.
There was something particularly hilarious about that.
- A mouse? I thought the Weasleys were done with the rodents. -
Harry laughed and shook his head softly. - His grandparents tried to oppose them but an indissoluble bond was immediately established between James and Moody… so we just didn't manage to divide them! -
Malfoy just smiled at him politely, and when he picked up the copy of the Transport Document, he scrambled to his feet. - I would gladly stay and chat about your family rats but I have to go back to the office. -
- Oh, yeah, right. Well then, if we find your license, we'll let you know. -
- Perfect. In any case, I await the new copy within the next few weeks. Thanks for your help, Potter. See you around, - Malfoy greeted and left the office.
The Auror would have liked so much to stop him and ask him to see each other again, maybe to drink a Butterbeer after work, but he didn't. He needed someone who didn't remind him of how satisfying married life was or who told him about Ginny's latest flirtation. Draco would be the perfect person to be only Harry with.
How strange life was. As a teenager, he probably never thought he'd find himself wanting to date Draco Malfoy. He had spent part of his time hating or ignoring him while now, whenever he set foot in the pub, he hoped to meet him sitting at the counter. He followed him with his eyes until the office door closed with a thud and the Auror sighed; there were too many hours to go until the end of his shift and the day seemed interminable to him. Maybe he would have done better to go out on a mission to kill time, at least he would have done something other than filling paperwork all day. He stood up and put on his cloak, ready to go out, when Ron entered the scene.
- Hey friend! -
- Hi Ron! -
- Are you going out? -
- Yes, I wanted to patrol... have you just come back? I didn't see you around this morning. -
- Yeah, I've been out all night. I was not even able to accompany the children to the station. -
- They were more than happy to have gone with their cool uncle. Of course I'm talking about me, - laughed Harry. - I'm sure they're already there. -
- Thanks for taking them, brother. -
- Duty and pleasure! -
- Will you be at the Burrow tonight? My parents celebrate their wedding anniversary. -
- I didn't know... but I don't think I can come. I already have a commitment, - Harry explained. In fact, he was more than sure that Ginny had mentioned something about her but he didn't feel like taking part in the event. - I'll write them an owl for good wishes. -
Ron assumed a condescending expression, greeted his friend and signed the exit card. Harry, on the other hand, left the room and headed towards Hogsmeade with the intention of checking that everything was okay. He was sorry he snubbed his friend Ron but he didn't need a lecture or yet another story about the happy Weasley family.
The afternoon was quite disappointing. Unfortunately, or fortunately, Harry hadn't found any anomalies around the country and walking hadn't helped him clear his head. So, at 5 p.m., he went back to the office, took a cup of Hot Bubbles Coffee and took a seat behind the desk.
When he had accepted the role that had been offered to him by the Auror Department, Harry had done so without batting an eye: it is not every day that a young wizard, without having finished school, receives such a proposal.
At first it was fun; he went on a mission at least once a week and his life seemed full of adventure. When his children were born, Harry had asked, under his wife's suggestions, for a period of adjustment. He had started with one mission a month and was now lucky if he managed to do one a year. He would have paid a lot of galleons to have a case to investigate and put his mind on something other than asking "but why did Ginny leave me?".
The man, bored, began to write the report of what he had done during the day. Nothing abnormal had happened and, speaking with Fortinbras, the latter had told him how much more peaceful and livable the town was now that Voldemort had definitively disappeared. Harry was happy with that.
He snorted, took a sip of his coffee, and resumed the boring task that was required. He couldn't leave before 8 p.m. He didn't that he had much to do; indeed, the idea of having to go to the stove to prepare something to eat bored him so much that he regretted never having hired a house elf. Anyway, he thought that, until 9 p.m., he would surely find a nice chicken leg with baked potatoes at "The Three Broomsticks". His stomach rumbled and Harry took it as a sign of assent. Satisfied with the mere idea of being able to enjoy such a tasty dinner, he found the energy to complete the task of rearranging the files on the desk.
When Potter put a stamp on the last file to be sorted, the clock said 8:10 p.m .; the man stretched out his arms to stretch and then stood up. He took one last look at the desk and, after turning off the light, went out. He greeted some other ministerial employee he met on the way to the exit and then materialized directly outside Madama Rosmerta.
He was cold and complained to himself for having forgotten his cloak in the office in a hurry to leave. He opened the door and entered the room; he nodded to some of the waiters and took a seat at one of the tables. Everyone was busy but he immediately recognized who was sitting at number three. He sat down in front of him and looked at him satisfied.
- Good evening Malfoy. -
- Potter, - greeted the other. - Have you ever eaten here? -
- Almost every evening, - answered the Auror.
- I just drank here. -
- Good evening gentlemen, - a waiter interrupted him. - What can I get you? -
- Pumpkin soup for me, . Malfoy ordered.
- For me too... but as an appetizer! Then I would like the chicken with potatoes. And a ginger salad. With some bread, please. -
The waiter pinned everything under Draco's skeptical gaze.
- To drink? -
- Two Butterbeers, - Harry ordered. The waiter took note of that too, smiled at the two and headed for the kitchen. - Why are you looking at me like that? -
- How much the hell are you eating, Potter?! -
- Um? I even went on a diet! -
- You call this diet? -
- Normally I would have eaten a lot more. -
- I hate you, - Draco commented. Harry had a lean physique despite his age and, knowing how much stuff he was capable of getting into his stomach, he felt extreme envy for his physical shape.
- I have a fast metabolism, - the other cleared himself. Malfoy gave him yet another glacial look and then, disgusted, shrugged.
- So, how was your day? -
