Clementine gave a low whistle as she walked into the kitchen. "Wow! This looks amazing!"
Setting down a platter of french toast on the table, Harry waved her into a chair. "Sit down and dig in while it's hot."
Passing her a plate, Harry took one himself, and started filling it with bacon, french toast and fruit. He felt really hungry as he drizzled on the maple syrup.
"So, why all this?" Clementine asked, pouring them both coffee from a carafe.
Harry was chewing his first bite, loving the cinnamon and vanilla flavors in the french toast. He had gotten away from cooking lately, and it felt good to eat home cooked food. "Just giving you a little treat. But this is also a business meeting."
She looked intrigued. "Oh really?" Things had quieted down for her lately, since the gay dating campaign had finished. She had been handling his normal charity paperwork and requests, but it was hardly a full time job lately.
"You know I've been going to therapy for a couple months now and I'm back to work half-time." It had been a lot of work with Dr. Mendosa, reviewing and questioning so many things from his past. "Things are getting back to normal and I want something positive to focus my energy on."
Clementine was slim and not that tall, but the woman could eat. She was already dishing herself seconds of bacon. "Like what?"
Harry took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He still got emotional when talking about this, feeling tension and his heart beating faster. "Um, well, helping Sera get into a good placement made me realize that there are a lot of kids in need out there. I'd like to see what we could do."
Looking at Harry with big hazel eyes, Clementine was so excited she almost couldn't speak for a full minute. "Oh yes! That would be fantastic! I'd love to work in that area."
"I need you to help me see what we could do, where the need is the greatest. I'd prefer it to be around orphans and other at risk kids." Harry felt a bubble of excitement, and knew this could be something great. A way to use his influence to help those who really needed it.
The rest of the breakfast they threw out ideas, until the food was all gone and Clementine ran up to her office to start researching everything.
Humming to himself, Harry used his wand to move all the dirty dishes into the sink and fill it with hot, soapy water. He washed the dishes by hand, thinking over all of Clementine's suggestions.
...
"All good?" Ron asked, as they were about to enter a rundown building.
Dr. Mendosa had commended Harry for his progress, and had cleared him to back to work a month ago. Harry continued to see him on a weekly basis, knowing his therapy wasn't going to be easy or quick.
Ron had welcomed him back, but he definitely checked in on Harry more often like this. At first it had irked Harry a bit, but he realized that his friend was trying to keep him out of trouble. And Harry knew himself better now, and would hopefully be able to recognize a problem before it blew up again. Ron would have his back if he needed to step away.
Harry nodded to his friend, and they crept into the building, wands drawn. They were hoping to bust one of the potion ingredient smugglers Theo had mentioned in his confession.
Two hours later, they had the suspect in custody, and Ron was giving him a pleased smile. The dirty flat was crammed full of illegal powders, and this would be a major blow to many criminals.
"I can't believe you got him with a Rictusempracharm! Who else would even think of doing that in a duel?" Ron chuckled, as they went into a pub.
Harry grinned back, still on an adrenaline-high from the bust. "Well, a blasting charm would be dangerous with all those unknown products so close. The tickling charm made it impossible for him to attack us."
The suspect had dropped his wand, giggling loudly as he fell to the ground, squirming around like a dozen hands were tickling him. It had been pretty amusing to watch the big thug being disarmed that way.
"It reminds me of all those spells and charms we learned preparing you for the Tri-Wizard tournament. Remember the jelly legs curse? Maybe I should brush up on that one." Ron lowered himself down to the table, and grabbed a menu.
Harry looked over to read the daily specials on a chalkboard near the bar. "Mmmmmm shepherd's pie."
It felt good to eat lunch with his old friend, talking over the bust, knowing he had done a good job. Every shift that went smoothly made him feel a bit more confident, more normal. He could tell Ron was getting comfortable with him again as well.
At the end of the meal, Ron left to use the washroom after the server had cleared their plates away. Harry yawned, feeling a bit sleepy now after the big meal. His eyes landed on a newspaper lying discarded on neighboring table. A picture caught his eye. Draco Malfoy. Snatching up the paper, Harry slumped back on to his chair, his eyes avidly reading every word.
Death Eater Returns!
After disappearing for over a decade, former Death Eater Draco Malfoy, 28, attended the opening of nightclub Vipers and Vixens Saturday night. He was in the company of Blaise Zambini, former Slytherin schoolmate at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Draco Malfoy was last seen at the post-war trials where his father, Lucius Malfoy, was found guilty and sent to Azkaban prison. Draco and his mother, Narcissa Malfoy, had escaped with not guilty verdicts in their own trials, largely due to the testimony of Harry Potter and other members of the Order of the Phoenix.
Malfoy socialized at the nightclub until after 1 am, when he departed alone and apparated to an unknown destination.
...
Most shocking of all was the picture that accompanied the short piece. Draco was wearing tight black jeans and dragon hide boots. His black dress shirt was fitted, showing off his slim torso, the top button undone. He had a light tan, making his blue-grey eyes pop, and he had a light scruff of whiskers along his jawline. He looked young and drop dead sexy.
Harry felt like he had that first session at the brothel, a surge of pure lust almost overpowering him. Fuck, even after all these months, this man just totally did it for him.
Ron came back just then, giving Harry a puzzled frown. "Is everything OK?"
Flipping the newspaper face down, Harry tried his hardest to look normal. "Um, yeah. Ready to go?"
Putting money on the table to cover his meal, Ron nodded. But when Harry did the same and got up to leave, Ron snatched the newspaper from his slackened grasp, nimbly stepping a few feet away, and reading the newspaper.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck... Harry's stomach dropped about a foot. There was no way to get out of this. He slumped back down to his chair in defeat, running his hands over his face.
Ron had obviously seen Harry's expression before he came back to the table, and from the looks he was shooting between the paper and Harry, putting it all together. After a couple minutes, he sat back down across from him, and leaned forward. "You like Draco Malfoy."
It was a statement, not a question, and Harry suddenly felt compassion for all the suspects Ron had interrogated. He felt pinned under his steady gaze, wanting to squirm in his seat and look away. There was a quiet intensity to him that Harry simply could not escape. "Yes," Harry finally confessed, the word shaky and soft.
Ron's eyes widened and he sat up so quickly his back thumped against his chair. He blinked fast, obviously processing this new information. Harry tried not to cringe in discomfort as he imagined what could be running through his mind.
"Even back in school? Did you and he ever...?" Ron said softly, seeming to fumble for how to finish the question.
"No!" Harry immediately refuted, but then looked around self-consciously, realizing how loudly he had objected. "Um, it started earlier this year. In the spring."
Ron's eyes widened again. "He's the guy in that picture with you!"
"Would you keep your fucking voice down," Harry hissed at him, his eyes darting around to see if anyone was watching them. "Let's get out of here."
Scooping up the newspaper, Harry walked out, leaving Ron to trail after him. He walked fast, his heart already pounding hard from the confrontation.
After a few blocks, he veered into an empty park and sat on the edge of a low brick wall. He sighed, looking up at Ron as he approached. "Ask me whatever you want." It would be better to just get this over with.
Ron crossed his arms over his chest, thinking for a minute. "Did stuff go on between you at school, or prior to this year?"
Shaking his head, Harry thought back to his interactions with Draco at Hogwarts. "No, it was exactly as you saw it. We were enemies, rivals. He was too busy being a prat back then to even think of him any other way."
That comment made Ron's brows rise. "Were you thinking about other guys 'in another way' back then?"
Harry made a sound halfway between a scoff and a laugh, and it diffused the tension between them. "When did I know I was gay? Is that what you are really asking?" He thought about it. "Really, it really didn't even occur to me until a couple years after Hogwarts, when things had settled down a bit more. Ginny and I had split up, and I really wasn't feeling interested in even dating someone else. But then I felt attracted to a guy and it completely shocked me. I was in denial for a while after that."
Ron glanced at the newspaper in Harry's hand. "So, when did it start with Draco?"
"Earlier this year. I vaguely told you about running into an old friend. It was surprising to see him after all these years, let alone feeling attracted to each other. It was a bit rocky in the beginning, but we were just starting to really date when that stupid, fucking picture leaked."
Ron sat down beside Harry, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. His best friend knew the aftermath of that, how hard Harry had taken the guy vanishing, being outed against his will. "What now? Why is Draco back, and appearing in public? Where has he been all these years? What has he been doing?"
Harry just looked off into the trees of the park, watching them swaying in the wind. He finally gave a small shrug. "I don't know where he has been the last few months, but I think he was mostly in London before that. He lived in the muggle areas, and worked disguised in the wizarding world. I have no idea why he is back and being so public about it, after all these years."
He had avoiding saying what type of work Draco had done previously, but Ron didn't seem to notice. "I can tell you still have feelings for him, despite the way he abandoned you at the first sign of trouble."
Sighing, Harry nodded. "I feel like such a fool. I even talked about him not long ago with Dr. Mendosa and he said Draco wasn't a good partner for me. That people with my kind of issues often pick inappropriate relationships, and repeat old patterns. That we don't feel like we deserve to be loved and treated right."
Ron tugged him closer, turning to give him a hug. Harry lowered his face against his shoulder, trying to keep from letting some tears escape. Ron simply rubbed his hands against his back in a comforting gesture. It felt good to just have his company and unconditional acceptance, giving him the time to get himself back together.
Harry was the first one to pull back, giving Ron a wobbly smile. "Thanks."
"Whenever you need to talk, you know where I am." Ron stood up, and looked around. "We better get back to the office. Greaves is probably through booking now."
Welcoming the thought of getting back to work, just to think about something else for a while, Harry got up and apparated.
...
Harry's eyes traced along V-neck of Draco's white t-shirt, down his slim chest, and over his long denim clad legs. The magical image showed him pulling on a helmet, already straddling a low slung motorcycle, the 'Indian' logo in bold letters on the gas tank. He was wearing a black leather jacket, and the dragon hide boots. Basically a wet dream on legs.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck...
Sighing, Harry turned the paper over and tried to concentrate on the papers spread out in the table. He should be getting used to it by now, as images of Draco seemed to show up often in the papers, with a very unsatisfying amount of information. Out with friends at hot nightclubs and restaurants, always dressed to the nines, laughing and seeming to have a great time without a care in the world.
He had been thrown the most by the small article with accompanying picture of Draco dressed in a suit, leaving a Diagon Alley building with papered-up windows, with a well known builder at his side. The article was light on the details, but gave the impression that Draco had bought a large commercial space. It was in a busy area, well away from the dark twists of Knockturn Alley.
Could Draco be opening a business? Harry felt a bit breathless at the idea. It would mean that Draco was really back and trying to become a part of regular society, after being on the fringes so long. It meant he might even be putting down roots, and planning to stay. Or would he open the business and vanish again? Hire a manager and run it from afar?
Somehow, Harry didn't think Draco would be appearing in public so much unless it was part of his overall plan. He was far too intelligent. Getting a building in such a central area said a lot about his intentions. Draco was not hiding any more.
Letting out a frustrated huff, Harry marched across the room to pour himself some firewhiskey. Whatever Draco's plans were, they didn't include Harry. He knew where Harry lived and worked, and hadn't even bothered to send him an owl. Their past was evidently in the past, and it was time for Harry to finally fucking put it behind him.
Swallowing the last of the drink, Harry set the glass down with a thump and focussed back on the papers. Clementine had done a huge amount of excellent research, looking into all the areas they had discussed at that brunch.
Twenty minutes later, Clementine knocked softly on the door of his study and entered. "What do you think?"
Harry leaned back and gave her a wide grin. "I'm feeling excited and overwhelmed. Do you really think we can do this?"
She sat across the table from him, looking down at the plans. "We will take it one step at a time, and fine tune things as we go. You have made so many connections with non-profits and government officials over the years, I think you can have a big impact."
It still felt amazing. In their initial discussion, Harry and Clementine had both shared the injustices many children faced. Kids like Sera who needed extra care and stable people in her life. Scholarships to help less wealthy kids afford all the supplies for Hogwarts. Orphans who needed foster families.
Clementine had researched everything to see what people were already doing. There were areas that Harry could partner with others, supporting their work. He would help bridge the gaps.
"When do you think we can launch the first phase?" Harry asked.'
Clementine tapped her fingers against the table as she thought. "Probably in about three months. It is the scholarship for Hogwarts, and the easiest phase. You are used to drumming up donations and it will mostly be a launch of your charity with a big gala."
Harry chuckled. "I've been to enough of them over the years, it will be odd to host my own."
It was scary and exciting. This was something that could really touch the lives of many children and give them better foundations for successful adult lives. If everything went well, it could eventually grow to become Harry's full time career. Being an auror had been great, but he could see easing out of it within the next five years or so as the charity grew.
Clementine's eyes fell on the newspaper. "It looks like you aren't the only one starting a new venture. Any guesses what Draco Malfoy could be up to?"
"No fucking idea," Harry sighed, and grabbed his empty glass to go refill it.
Her sharp eyes took in his expression and flicked back to the newspaper. "Hmmm maybe I'll check around and see what I can find out. He likely had to file a building permit and it will be available to the public at the ministry."
Firewhiskey had a pleasant burn as he swallowed, and Harry tried for a nonchalant shrug. "Sounds good."
His assistant smirked a little to herself as she left his study.
...
-A/N: Draco's back! yay!