Part 2

Grimmauld Place was lonely these days. Kreacher had died the previous year. And even though he hadn't provided much conversation and was usually more of an irritation than anything, Harry missed him. It had been comforting to know that there was another living thing in the big house with him.

However, it didn't take Harry long to begin redecorating. There had been some minor changes made since the war. When Draco lived there he had brought some of his own preferred style, but much of the Black family remained. Harry didn't mind that much. It had made Kreacher happy to have reminders of Regulus and Mrs. Black. Once Kreacher was gone Harry decided that it all had to go. Aside from Draco's family and the memories of Sirius, Harry had no connection to the Blacks. He gave Narcissa and Andromeda all the family heirlooms to be dealt with however they saw fit. Personal possessions belonging to Sirius and Regulus were either tossed out or put into a trunk to go to the attic. Their bedrooms were completely redecorated. After all, this was Harry's home now, and if he was going to stay there it had to feel like his.

The hardest part of the renovations had been removing Mrs. Black, but it finally happened. George had been the one to finally figure out the tricky spell work needed to displace her. She was sent to the attic with several silencing spells around her.

With Hermione's help he had gone a long way to making the old house feel happier and less dreary. But that hadn't stopped it from being empty. So he was pleasantly surprised to walk inside to find Ginny's cloak hanging up in the foyer. He found her on the sofa in the sitting room with a magazine.

"What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you. I didn't figure you would stay at the benefit the whole evening."

"And what if I'd brought someone home?"

She raised an eyebrow, unconcerned. "Then we all could have had a really good time."

He slumped down next to her, still feeling rather miserable about Draco.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Boy problems."

"Nothing."

"Draco."

He winced and she knew she was right.

"He hugged me. And kissed my cheek."

"And you wanted more." He nodded. "What is it with you two lately? Ever since he started seeing the French hottie you've been out of sorts."

Harry muttered something under his breath, but Ginny managed to make out "fucking Marquardt." She grinned.

"He is quite handsome, isn't he?" She had to hold back a giggle at the death glare Harry was giving her. "He's nearly perfect. Those big chocolate brown eyes, the perfect bouncy hair."

"Bouncy hair?"

"Haven't you noticed how his hair bounces every time he moves his head? Not like yours, which is just a mess."

"Right, got it. Draco likes men with bouncy hair."

"Actually I think it's more floppy than bouncy. But it's not just the hair. The man is amazing. Don't tell me you haven't noticed."

"I try not to."

But he couldn't hide the faint blush that spread across his cheeks. Ginny was always quick to spot those kinds of things.

"You have though. There's something you're not telling me."

Harry rolled his eyes. It wasn't as if he didn't already tell her almost everything, so what was the harm?

"He's hot, which is a fact that I noticed years ago. When Marquardt first made a name for himself in France he made the papers here too. I actually pointed him out to Draco. We… talked about him."

"And by 'talked about him'…"

"The talking sort of led to the discussion of a fantasy and that let to sex. On the floor." Harry looked around. "Actually, it was in this room."

"No kidding?" Ginny's jaw was on the floor. They had a habit of being very open with each other, but it was rare that Harry ever discussed his sex life with Draco. "Was there any role play involved?"

"No, nothing like that. I mean, we'd done role playing before, but no."

"Still, that's pretty… wow. I often use celebrities in my fantasies too."

"I don't. With the exception of that one time."

"And now Draco's shagging him. No wonder you hate him."

"Yeah."

"Do you think Draco is with him just to get to you?"

"No. He can be a dick, but even he isn't that bad. He got close to Jacques to get his social and political connections. Then they got even closer. I'm sure it has nothing to do with me or that one fantasy. Draco's much too sensible for that anyway. Besides, that was ages ago. A couple years before we broke up I think."

"Do you still think about it when you see them together?"

"No. When they first starting seeing each other… We were down at the office the day I met him. Draco gave me this look and I could tell that he was thinking about it. But other than that, no."

"Wow. And now you want Draco back from him?"

"I… yeah. Yeah, I do."

"I don't know what to tell you. There's a reason you broke up."

"But was it a good enough reason?"

"I witnessed some of the screaming matches, remember? Nobody can live like that."

"But if he hadn't walked in on you and me… I think we would have made up."

"And two weeks later you'd be back to hating each other. Sometimes love's not enough."

"But if love isn't, and sexual attraction isn't, then what is enough?"

"If I knew I'd have a boyfriend by now."

She leaned in and kissed him lightly on the lips, asking, but he pulled away. She frowned, but accepted the rejection. Their relationship was actually very simple. The sex was just sex and if there was no sex then they could still be friends. No strings attached. He obviously wasn't in the mood to do anything aside from thinking about Draco.

She sighed and repositioned herself on the sofa so that she was facing him instead of sitting beside him.

"So how are you going to get him back?"

"What do you mean?"

She rolled her eyes. "Don't be thick. You need a plan to get Draco back if this is going to have any sort of happy ending."

"It didn't work before. Just because I haven't dealt with our break up doesn't mean that we should get back together."

"Right. So you're just going to keep fucking other people, me included, while constantly thinking of Draco."

"I do not think of Draco when we're fucking."

"You do actually. And it's okay that you'd rather be with him. You and I weren't supposed to be together."

"We work better as friends," Harry nodded.

"I'm glad we agree. Now about Draco…" She smoothed the hair back from his forehead in a comforting, familiar gesture. "You should tell him."

"I thought you said that love isn't enough and we fought too much."

She shrugged and offered a small smile. "Sometimes love isn't enough. And you did fight too much. But you've been apart for a while. Maybe it will help you appreciate each other all the more. That and you've both slept with enough people to know that you're not missing out on anything by being tied down to each other."

"Do you think that was the problem? We just were too young and curious?"

"Who knows? The way you're both going through partners, I'd say you were working on ruling out all other possibilities."

They were silent for a few moments while Harry considered this. Sex had never been as great as it was with Draco. Sure, he'd learned a few new techniques, a couple different positions, but he'd never felt so completely happy and at peace as he had with Draco.

"Do you think he would take me back?"

"Probably not if you just ask him. I think you're going to have to woo him. Seduce him."

Right. Now how in Merlin's name did he do that?

**

Unfortunately, Harry's plan hit a brick wall very early in the planning stages. He had found out that Marquardt was going to be returning to France the following month and saw that as his big opportunity to get close to Draco again. So when Narcissa Malfoy invited him over for tea one afternoon he actually went. She had tried to stay friendly with him since the break up, but he avoided the Manor in his effort to avoid Draco. Now that he didn't mind bumping into Draco he also figured it couldn't hurt to have Narcissa on his side.

"It has been far too long since you've been here."

"Well, you know I'm busy."

"I also know that you don't want to run into Draco here."

"Am I that obvious?" Harry laughed.

"I miss you coming around. You will always be like a second son to me."

"Well, your real son doesn't share the affection for me."

"Draco is complicated." She was making excuses for him again, just as she always did since the break up. "He was trying to find himself after the war. He was looking for his place in the world, the same as everyone else. You knew your place already."

"It wasn't just me being in Auror training."

"No, but he cares about you, even if you cannot be together."

He was curious why she was steering the conversation toward his and Draco's relationship, a topic generally avoided by almost everyone else. He decided to ask a strategic question. "What do you think of Marquardt?"

Narcissa did her best to maintain her polite smile, but it had slipped some. Harry successfully concealed his own smirk. She was on his side.

"Jacques is nice enough. He is polite and smart. Draco seems to get on well with him." She paused, stirring more sugar into her tea. "Actually they are moving rather quickly. A bit faster than I would like."

"How do you mean?"

"I mean that I think Draco is planning on going to France with him."

Harry felt his heart stop. He hadn't counted on this.

"To live? Permanently?"

She nodded.

"That's absurd. He wouldn't leave. This is his home. What about the G.L.W.A.? That's his baby; he couldn't just give it up."

"But you expect the new law to pass soon."

"That's not all the G.L.W.A. is for though. The work isn't going to be over just because the gay marriage law passes. It's about having a support system and equal treatment… and well, Draco wouldn't just leave it."

"He might. He has hinted. Jacques leaves in two weeks and the vote is the week after. If it goes through, I believe Draco may go."

"He can't," Harry said quietly, still in shock.

"You don't want him to go either."

He looked back up at her. He loved Narcissa like a mother. For a long time he believed that she would be his mother-in-law one day. After four years he realized that he still wanted that and now Draco might make that impossible. Narcissa hadn't just invited him over to be friendly; a part of her wanted Harry to stop Draco leaving. She wouldn't say it though. She wouldn't want to appear to be going against Draco in any way. But this was good. It meant that Harry had an ally.

They talked for a while, but as soon as he could politely leave the tea Harry went to Diagon Alley and into the G.L.W.A. office. The secretary at the front desk, Leah, greeted him, but he continued, afraid of any distractions. He didn't even knock at Draco's office door.

"What the—Harry! Could you possibly be any more rude? I was just about to make an important floo call to the Ministry."

"Are you going to France?"

"What?"

"I just had tea with your mother."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Does she have you spying on me now?"

"She expressed her concern. I told her you wouldn't leave the organization that you built from the ground up, that has accomplished so much. You wouldn't throw that all away for some bloke."

He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair now. "If you are so confident of this then why would you barge in here to harass me about it?"

"I want to know the truth. You're not leaving."

But Draco's eyes flickered down to his paperwork and Harry knew that Narcissa had been right.

"I only just decided yesterday. I was going to tell her tomorrow at dinner."

"You can't. Why would you do that?"

"Jacques heard of a position there that I would be perfect for."

Harry couldn't help himself. "He probably has several positions in mind for you."

"Shut up. The jealousy is cute and all, but you're not really in a 'position' to complain about my sex life." Harry looked suitably abashed, but Draco continued. "I happen to care for Jacques quite a bit. I want to be with him."

"Then he can move here. You created something great here. You can't just leave it."

"Someone else can run it now."

"But they won't run it with the same kind of passion that you do. They won't care as much."

"Harry, don't."

"Are you just running from me?"

"The world doesn't revolve around Harry Potter."

"Draco!"

"There's nothing to run from."

"Nothing? You feel absolutely nothing for me?"

"Of course I feel something. I've moved on though. I thought you had too."

"I did. I moved on, and on, and on and you know what? I came back to you."

"Don't do this. Leave."

"Draco…"

"Harry, leave." His voice was firm. Harry would get no further today.

"You're making a huge mistake."

It was announced that week that Draco would be leaving after the vote. He was appointing his second in charge, Daniel, as his temporary replacement until the leadership committee could approve a permanent one. Daniel would get it. He was qualified, smart and passionate about their issues. But Harry hated him. As part of the leadership committee, Harry would have to help choose Draco's replacement and he didn't think he could stomach it. The conference room was filled with "congratulations" and other warm, fuzzy sentiments for Draco's huge life decision. All Harry could do was sulk.

He started spending more time around the office on the pretext of going over options to replace Draco. He wanted to make sure he was completely familiar with everything so that he could help the new leader get adjusted to the position. At least that's what he told everyone. Draco didn't seem to be buying it as a viable excuse.

On the day that Jacques finally left for France Andromeda had planned a special dinner at her place. She said Draco needed cheering up and seeing Teddy always did that. She didn't mention to him that Harry would be stopping by after dinner. He just happened to be bringing over the role of parchment that she asked him to pick up for her earlier in the day. If their timing was a bit too obvious no one said anything. Draco didn't seem to think there was any sort of pre-planned motive, so Harry asked him to go out for drinks, promising "just as friends."

They had a good time talking about Quidditch and friends. It was comfortable, so when the pub closed and Draco suggested they return to Grimmauld Place for Harry's private stash of top notch firewhiskey, Harry didn't see anything wrong with it. He honestly was beyond having any agenda at that point. Tired, happy and slightly buzzed on alcohol, he only wanted to prolong the feeling a little more. Drinks at home sounded like just what he needed.

An hour later they were both very near passing out in Harry's sitting room and had very nearly run out of things to talk about.

"No, really. I actually like how this place is looking. And you even got rid of Mrs. Black."

Harry nodded. Had it really been so long since Draco had been there?

"It really fits your personality somehow."

"I needed to change it. After you left… I needed it to look different so I wouldn't think of you every time I walked into a room."

Draco stared down into his drink. "Did it work?"

"No. That's why I don't spend a lot of time here."

"Not even when you bring dates home?"

Of course, even drunk, Draco had to squeeze a remark about that in there.

"No. They're mostly muggles. I go to their place."

"Except when it's Ginny."

There was no mistaking the bitterness in Draco's voice.

"Ginny… is a friend. What you saw, that was a mistake. I was depressed when you left and I turned to her. I would have never wanted you to see that."

"You make it sound like she hasn't been a regular around here since then."

"Since then you and I have been broken up. I'm allowed to get laid. And it may as well be her. You didn't care, so what did it matter?"

"I did care though."

Harry looked right up at him, trying to catch his eye. "Would you have come back?"

"I don't know. But I'm glad I didn't. I've made a name for myself separate from yours. I could have never done that with you."

Somewhere in Harry's alcohol-inhibited brain it occurred to him to remember his plan.

"I'm proud of everything you've done since then, Draco. But sometimes I just think what if…"

"Don't. We can't go down that road."

"Why?"

"Because 'what if' leads to answers that you don't want to hear."

"Yes, maybe we would have hated each other. Maybe we would have killed each other. But maybe, just maybe we could have been happy. We still loved each other."

Draco set his drink on the coffee table and repositioned himself on the sofa, father away from Harry, backed against the end of the furniture. "Love and attraction were never the problem. It was the fighting."

"I still love you. I'm still attracted-"

"Don't."

Harry slid a little closer. "We're not fighting now."

"No, but we will."

"You didn't want to talk about this because you're still in love with me. You're afraid that if we talk about it, it will lead to not talking and you're terrified that you won't be able to stop the non-talking."

"You're insane, Potter." He tried to laugh, make it light and friendly, but his voice was a bit horse and his throat had gone incredibly dry.

Inwardly, Harry smirked. Got him. He slid closer again.

"Why is it so insane? If you're not still attracted to me then there's nothing to even talk about. But if you are, what would be so wrong about giving into that temptation?"

"I'm seeing someone."

"He's in another country. And don't you owe it to yourself to make sure that there's nothing still here for you before you commit to him?"

For one short moment he looked like he was about to give in, but then his expression changed to be replaced by one that Harry knew too well. His eyes narrowed to slits, trained suspiciously on Harry. Shit.

"When did you become such a smooth-talker? Is that how you trick all those muggles into taking you home?"

Harry didn't have time for hesitation. One hand went to the back of Draco's neck and the other wrapped around his waist, pulling him into a kiss. After a brief, grunted protest Draco gave in completely and returned the kiss. Harry felt as if his entire body was on fire. In recent weeks he'd thought about this moment constantly. He'd imagined exactly how it would feel to kiss and touch Draco after all the time apart, drawing from the memories he had of their failed relationship. Sometimes he could nearly feel Draco touching him and he would wank, thinking of Draco's mouth on his cock. Somehow all those imaginings paled in comparison to the real thing.

Draco took charge, pushing Harry back onto the sofa as if the whole thing was his idea. He didn't waste time opening Harry's robes and removing both of their trousers. He looked down at Harry's cock and with barely a second thought, descended on it, taking it into his mouth. Harry ran his hand through Draco's hair, remembering with a smile that it was the only time he actually didn't mind his hair being put out of place.

"Fuck, Draco, that's amazing."

Was he imagining things or had Draco actually gotten better at this? Abruptly he pulled away.

"What the-"

Draco's eyes met his, dark with lust. "I don't want you to come yet."

Harry waited in anticipation as Draco stuck two fingers into his mouth, making sure to get plenty of saliva on them, and then reached behind him to finger himself. Harry watched, breathing hard while Draco stretched himself properly. Harry was thinking a little slower than usual since all his blood supply was being redirected away from his brain, but eventually he remembered what he should be doing. He grabbed his wand off of the table next to them and summoned lube.

"Sit up," Draco ordered.

Harry wasn't about to disobey the man in charge of his satisfaction and did as he was told. Draco snatched the lube out of his hand and coated Harry's cock. When he was satisfied with his work he moved to straddle Harry's lap. Without once taking his eyes off of Harry's he reached back to guide the thick cock into him.

"God, you're so tight," Harry moaned.

Draco leaned in for another long, slow kiss. His fingers were gripping Harry's shoulder and neck hard. It was surely leave bruises. Draco licked his lips and began rocking his hips, establishing a pace as Harry put his hand between their bodies to rub Draco's leaking erection.

It was so much better than Harry remembered it. He forgot how perfectly their bodies fit together, how they each knew where the other wanted to be touched and kissed. Afterward, as Draco collapsed on him, he realized that there really was no one else on earth who he would rather fuck. And that wasn't just about the sex. It was the way Draco's hair brushed against his face or the way those perfectly manicured fingernails dug into his shoulder blades. It was the voice. That voice that no one else could ever replace for him. He needed Draco Malfoy.

They fell asleep together on the sofa, but Draco was gone first thing the next morning without waking Harry.