Summary: Draco is a Healer, Harry is an Auror. When an accident sends Harry to St Mungo's and into Draco's care they begin to wonder if things can ever go back to the way they were. HarryxDraco slash.

Rating: M

Warnings:Drunk!Harry, bitch!Ginny

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or settings that you recognise; they belong to JK Rowling and Warner Bros. I am not making any money from this story.

Chapter Two: New Beginnings

Harry looked up from the Daily Prophet as Ginny walked into the kitchen, pulling her long hair back into a ponytail and making her way over to the teapot.

"Morning, love," he said through a mouthful of toast, "busy day today?"

"Like you wouldn't believe," she grimaced, pouring milk into her cup and reaching for the sugar bowl. Ginny was the captain of the Holyhead Harpies and, as proud as he was of his wife, this role put her under a lot of stress. She had always had a very volatile temperament but Harry was finding her increasing short-temperedness difficult to live with. Mornings like these were few and far between. "Quality Quidditch Supplies have completely screwed up our order for this season's robes, so I'll have to stop off at Diagon Alley this morning to take care of that; practice was rescheduled because our best Keeper managed to break her leg and wound up in St Mungos; I'm meant to be meeting mum and Alicia for lunch to discuss her wedding and I've been roped into babysitting Daniel this evening while my brother and Hermione go out on the town!"

"Ginny, they're hardly going out on the town; they're having dinner with Hermione's parents," Harry laughed

"Still, I don't see why they couldn't take him with them!" she snapped

"Would you like to take a three year old to a restaurant? I didn't think so," he added as her face dropped, "I think we can give them one night to themselves."

Ginny huffed. "I suppose so. Oh, what time is it?"

Harry looked at his wrist but his watch was nowhere in sight. "Have you seen my watch? The one your mum gave to me?"

"No, I haven't, sorry. I'm sure it can't be far," she said over her shoulder as she peered into the living room. "Damn, it's almost nine o'clock! I have to go now but I'll see you later, okay? I should be back around dinner time."

"That's fine, I don't really have a lot to do today. Do you want me to pick up Danny for you?"

"Would you?" she kissed his cheek, "that would be great. I've got to run but I'll let Hermione know that you'll get him around lunchtime."

"Okay, take care!" he called as she dashed out of the kitchen.

He stood up as he heard the front door slam and piled his dishes beside the sink. Making his way up to the bathroom, it suddenly occurred to him where his watch might be: St Mungos. Harry never took his watch off and he didn't remember seeing it in the hospital room when he woke up yesterday. He was willing to bet that one of the mediwitches removed it when he was admitted. Turning on the shower, he sighed. St Mungos was the last place he wanted to be this morning, as going there meant seeing Malfoy. He was feeling a little awkward after their last meeting and he couldn't help noticing how strange the other man had been acting. He pulled his t-shirt and boxers off and stepped into the shower, allowing the hot water to sooth his aching muscles. He heard what sounded like a knock at the front door as he reached for the soap and he paused.

"Kreacher?" he called, "is that you?"

No answer. Pulling a towel firmly around his waist and stepping out of the shower, Harry made his way down the stairs, pushing his wet hair out of his eyes. He noticed that Ginny had left her keys sitting on the sideboard and he realised that she must have forgotten something in her haste to leave that morning.

"You'd forget your head if it wasn't screwed on," he laughed, pulling the door open

"I could say the same to you, Potter," drawled Malfoy, gazing appreciatively at Harry's naked torso. "You appear to have forgotten your clothes."

"I was taking a shower," Harry replied defensively, folding his arms across his chest

"Do you always answer the door in a towel?" the blonde enquired, raising an eyebrow

"No, I thought it was Ginny," he explained. "I wasn't expecting you. How did you know where I live?"

"It's on your medical records. Plus, it's on my way home so I thought I'd drop this in," he held out his hand. "You forgot your watch."

"Oh, er… thanks. I was going to pop in later to pick it up anyway."

"Well, now you don't have to. Anyway, I'd better get going, I've just finished a twelve hour shift, so…"

"Yeah, I need to pick up my nephew soon so I should get ready," Harry ran a hand through his hair, feeling awkward.

"Okay, well, I'll see you later then, Potter," Draco gave Harry one last sweeping glance before pulling his cloak tighter around himself and making his way down the garden path. Harry watched his retreating form for a few moments before calling after him.

"Hey Malfoy, do you want to come in?"

"Pardon?" he turned to face him, looking puzzled

"Never mind, I was just going to ask if - if you wanted a cup of tea. You, er… you look cold," Harry finished lamely

Draco paused briefly before walking back up the path towards Harry. "Tea would be lovely, thank you."

Taking the other man's cloak and hanging it by the door, Harry called for Kreacher and ushered his guest into the sitting room. "I'll be back in a minute," he said, before hurrying upstairs to get dressed.

He wasn't altogether sure why he had invited Malfoy in but he put it down to him being grateful that he had brought him his watch. It appeared that his old rival seemed to be ready to put their past behind them and Harry was intrigued to see where this would lead. He quickly toweled off and pulled on socks and underwear before searching for a clean t-shirt. When he was fully dressed, he made his way back down to the living room, where Kreacher was standing with a tray laden with saucers, teacups, biscuits and a teapot.

"Thank you, Kreacher. You can just put it on the coffee table," Harry gestured to the elf, who did what was asked of him before bowing deeply.

"Master has invited a Malfoy into the house of Black, Kreacher's mistress would be happy, yes she would. Kreacher knows what makes his mistress happy, not blood traitors and filth, oh no…"

"Kreacher, stop that. I've warned you before!" Harry stood up to shoo him away, closing the door behind him. "Sorry about him, he's really old and a bit mad," he said apologetically, running his hand through his hair again.

"That's alright. He seemed to approve of my presence anyway," Draco said, smirking as he poured hot tea into two cups. "What do you take in yours?"

"Milk and two please," Harry replied, gratefully taking the proffered cup.

Both men quietly drank their tea and there was a moment before anyone spoke. Draco laid his cup on the coffee table and turned to face the brunette.

"So, your wife seems like a bitch."

Harry snorted with laughter into his teacup and resurfaced, choking as the hot liquid burned his throat. "She's not always like that. Just when she's stressed," he replied when he had regained his composure.

"And how often is she stressed?" Malfoy asked, his eyebrow raised

Harry paused. "Okay, most of the time," he admitted, still grinning. "She's alright sometimes."

"Surely you knew what she was like when you married her though," the Slytherin reasoned, reaching for his cup and taking a sip of tea.

Harry sighed. He didn't know why he was discussing this with Draco Malfoy of all people but, if he was honest with himself, it was something that he needed to talk about. There was nobody else he could say these things to without it somehow getting back to Ginny. He stared into his teacup, not making eye contact with man in front of him.

"She was always… passionate. Aggressive, some would say. I always saw a softer side to her that she kept hidden from everyone else and it felt like it was just for me. We got married soon after the war, pretty much because that's what we were expected to do and I wanted to keep her parents happy. Molly and Arthur have been so good to me over the years but when we told them that we were going to get married, they were so excited that they insisted we do it at The Burrow and Ginny had it planned within a month."

"And you feel that you were rushed into it?" Draco asked delicately

"No. Well… yeah, maybe a bit," he replied hesitantly, "Everyone says that your wedding day is the happiest day of your life but… I don't know, maybe that just applies to the bride. It's her day, really."

"You weren't happy on your wedding day then?"

"I didn't say that I wasn't happy, I just… why am I even telling you this? It doesn't matter. I love Ginny, I do." Harry nodded for emphasis.

"Who are you trying to convince, Potter – me or you?" the blond arched an eyebrow and Harry felt a stab of irritation.

"I'm not trying to convince anybody of anything. I have nothing to prove."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to push you or anything," Draco said hastily, setting his cup down on the table again. "Anyway, I'd better be getting home now; I'm on night shift again tonight."

"Okay," he replied, not knowing what else to say.

"I can see myself out," Malfoy said, standing up but Harry stood as well and placed a hand on the other man's arm

"Listen, sorry for snapping. I usually don't talk about this stuff. It's easier to just never think about it to be honest."

"I understand, Potter. You would probably drive yourself insane if you dwelled on your doubts," he replied with a slight smile. He placed a slender hand on the brunette's shoulder. "If you ever need an impartial ear…"

Harry nodded. "Thanks Malfoy," he paused awkwardly. "Erm… let me get your cloak."

"That's quite alright, I can get it myself," the taller man opened the living room door and they stepped into the hall. Pulling on his cloak, Draco glanced at Harry before letting the front door swing open. "Thank you for the tea."

"Oh, that's alright. I enjoyed the company to be honest," Harry laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "You're not so bad, Malfoy."

"Why, thank you, your highness," the Slytherin replied, pretending to bow. "I suppose you're not too bad yourself."

Harry laughed again, watching the other man descend the steps into his garden and follow the path towards the gate. Closing the front door, he heard his name.

"Hey, Potter!" he opened it again to find Malfoy leaning on his front gate. "There's a fundraiser being held for the hospital and I have a few tickets to give away at my discretion. You can have a couple, if you'd like, for you and Weasley."

"Yeah, that would be great. Black tie sort of event, yeah?"

"Indeed. I assume you do have dress robes?" Draco smirked, a hint of his old self recognisable in his tone

"Erm… I have the ones that Molly got me in fourth year, the green ones. Those will do, won't they?" Harry asked, frowning. Draco's face dropped.

"You can't wear those to a hospital fundraiser! Can't you ask your wife to pick you up a new set while she's out?"

"Ginny? Set aside ten minutes out of her day to do me a favour?" Harry looked incredulous. "I don't think so. When do I need them by?"

"Friday night. I'll drop the tickets off tonight on my way to work. You can have two for Granger and the Weasel as well," Malfoy replied, his expression distasteful.

"I'll have to go tomorrow then, I won't have time after work any day next week," he said, more to himself than to anyone else.

"Then tomorrow it is. You will buy new robes and come to the party on Friday, your wife can get dressed up and feel important, you can meet some interesting people and I can sleep easier at night knowing that they're not going to cut my department's budget again this year due to lack of funding," Draco replied matter-of-factly. "Well, I'll be off, Potter, but I'll see you on Friday. And try to do something with your hair." With that, the blond turned on the spot and vanished with a loud crack, leaving Harry staring at the spot where he had been standing.

-x-

"Daniel, stop that this instant and sit properly!" Ginny snapped at the small child beside her. "I'm serious; you're not leaving the table without finishing your dinner!"

"Calm down, Gin, he's just bored. There's no need to yell at him," Harry said calmly as toddler began to whine. "It's okay, Danny, we can finish it later, can't we?"

He stood and scooped his nephew up, spinning him around a few times before setting him on the floor beside his toys. He ruffled Daniel's hair and began to clear the table, carrying the dirty plates into the kitchen.

"Why do you do that?" Ginny asked, following him over to the sink

"Do what, Ginny?" he asked wearily, as hot water flowed from the tip of his wand onto the dishes.

"Don't say my name like that, don't patronise me," she threw him a withering look. "You completely undermine my authority in every situation!"

"Every situation?" Harry laughed. "For god's sake, Gin, you were yelling at a three year old for not wanting to sit still. I thought you were being a bit unreasonable, that was why I stepped in. I do not undermine your authority in every situation."

"Oh no? What about when I said that I didn't want you having a bachelor party before we got married and you went ahead and had one anyway?"

"Merlin, when are you going to let that go? Your brothers organised a night out and I went to the Three Broomsticks with a few friends, that's it! It wasn't even a bachelor party!" he said exasperatedly, not looking up from the sink

"I don't care what you call it, you still didn't listen to me! You never listen!" she said, stomping her foot

"It's hard not to listen when you're constantly yelling at me, Ginny! I think everyone in the street hears what you say!" Harry replied, gesturing wildly and splashing water all over the kitchen.

"Oh, so you hear what I say but you just choose to ignore it, is that it?" she placed her hands on her hips, her brown eyes narrowed.

"No, that's not it. And I refuse to argue about this with Danny in the next room," he said flatly, drying his hands on the towel by the door. He could see Ginny opening her mouth to retort so he cut across her with most infuriating thing that he could think of: "You know, when you stand like that, Gin, you really look like your mother."

He had done it now. Darting behind the door and into the living room, he made his way to the hall, Ginny's screeches following him as he grabbed his cloak. He wrenched open the front door before she could catch him and, without a backwards glance, he was down the path and out the gate. He hurried down the street, paying little attention to where his feet were taking him, and felt himself collide with something solid. Blinking a few times, he took a step back to see Draco Malfoy looking similarly dazed.

"Malfoy," he greeted him with a slight nod, "what are you doing here?"

"I told you that I would be dropping off those tickets tonight," the other man replied, his brow furrowed, "did you forget?"

"No, no, of course not, I just… never mind," Harry shook his head, "are you on your way to the hospital now?"

"Actually, my shifts have been moved around again so I'm not working until tomorrow night," he explained. Harry gave him a puzzled look.

"I thought you were handing the tickets in on your way to work. You could have just sent them by owl, you know. Or do you live nearby?"

"No, not particularly," he shrugged, "I just fancied a walk. What are you doing out at this time anyway? I thought you were babysitting tonight or something."

"I was, I mean… I am. Me and Ginny just… and I needed to… y'know…" he trailed off

"I see. Well, I was on my way to the pub just now and you are more than welcome to join me. If you want to, that is. I'd understand if your wife wouldn't want you out drinking with me; she didn't seem too pleased to see me at the hospital."

Harry thought for a moment before answering. It was true, Ginny wouldn't be happy that he had been drinking with Malfoy but he didn't have to sculpt his life around what she wanted. She was his wife, not his bloody keeper, and he was sick and tired of her treating him like something she'd stepped in. "Sure, a drink sounds great."

They set off together, their awkward conversation carrying them through the cold grey streets of London until they reached a small, cosy-looking pub called the Golden Snitch. He smirked.

"I would never have thought that you would drink in a place like this, Malfoy." He gazed around at the Quidditch memorabilia that adorned the walls and ceilings.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Draco raised an eyebrow as he pulled off his cloak.

"Nothing, I just pictured you in a trendy bar or a nightclub, that's all. I didn't think you'd be into having a few down the local," he took the blond's cloak and hung it, along with his own, on the coat stand by the door. Draco laughed.

"I'm just full of surprises, Potter."

They made their way over to a vacant booth at the back of the pub, the barman waving as they passed.

"'Evening, Mr Malfoy. The usual?"

Draco turned to Harry. "What are you drinking?"

"Erm… butterbeer?" Harry shrugged

"I'm not sitting with you drinking butterbeer!" he scoffed. He turned back to the barman. "Two of the usual please, Alfie. Better make them doubles."

Alfie nodded and busied himself with their drinks. Draco watched as Harry made his way over to the table and sat down but quickly averted his gaze when the other man looked up. Paying nine sickles for the drinks, he lifted them and carried them carefully over to where Harry was sitting. The brunette eyed the glass warily.

"What's that?"

"Firewhisky," Draco replied shortly, "drink it slowly if you've never had it before; I don't want to have to carry you home."

Harry sniffed the amber liquid and his eyes stung. Taking a deep breath, he tipped his head back and took a mouthful, the drink burning his throat on its way down. He coughed, wiping his streaming eyes on his sleeve. Malfoy surveyed him over the top of his glass, torn between exasperation and amusement.

"I told you to sip it."

"And I told you I wanted a butterbeer," Harry choked, setting his drink on the table.

"I'm assuming you're not much of a drinker then, if all you know is butterbeer," Draco took another sip of whisky, his eyes never leaving Harry's.

"I drink mead at Ginny's parent's house or the Three Broomsticks. Molly and Arthur have a lot of big dinners in the summer, out in the garden, and Bill usually brings stuff," Harry shifted uncomfortably under Draco's gaze. "Apart from that I don't really bother. I never have cause to, unless I'm going out with the guys."

The blond nodded. "I started drinking after the war ended. I liked it here because it's quiet and nobody really bothered me. Now I'm here so often that nobody gives me a second glance. Don't get me wrong – I'm not some raging alcoholic, I just find that this is the most relaxing way of winding down after a busy day at the hospital."

"I don't know how you spend twelve hours a day in that place," Harry said, taking a draught of firewhisky. "I hate it there."

"I suppose I just wanted to do something worthwhile," he replied after a long pause. "I hated the thought of all the awful things that I'd done during the war and how lucky I was not to be in a cell in Azkaban. My father is still in there and my mother was under house arrest for three years. I still don't know how I escaped it."

There was silence. Draco drained his glass and looked to Harry, an odd expression on his face. "Another round?" he asked, getting to his feet.

"I'll get it," Harry offered, pulling his wallet out of his jeans.

Draco sat down and watched the other man get to his feet and walk over to the bar. His mind was slightly clouded, not nearly enough to be drunk, but enough to know that there was something strange about the way he was feeling. He shook his head as if to clear it. He wanted to show people that he wasn't the same person anymore, that he had changed. He knew that he was no longer the spoilt, vindictive brat that he'd been at school but he couldn't understand his desperation to prove it to Harry Potter. He was brought out of his reverie by a shot glass being shoved under his nose.

"Here," Harry said, handing him a drink. "Bottoms up."

"Cheers," Draco replied, clinking their glasses together. They both gulped the alcohol back and Harry screwed up his face in disgust.

"How can you drink this stuff?" he demanded, slamming his glass down on the table.

"Believe me, it gets better the more you have," Draco smirked, placing his glass down beside Harry's. "That's why you should drink doubles."

Over an hour passed and neither of them was feeling remotely awkward anymore. Harry had been apprehensive at first but it appeared that Malfoy had changed a lot since their days at Hogwarts. He wasn't sure if he could fully trust him but the ex-Slytherin had done nothing to make him think otherwise and this friendship, if that's what they could call it, was definitely welcome.

They drank and talked about what they had done in the past few years. They talked about the war, and Ginny, and Draco's mother. They talked about their friends, their fears, their hobbies, and their jobs. They laughed about their fights at school and they admitted their hopes for the future. Harry couldn't remember talking and laughing so much in a long time. Neither of them could remember ever having as much fun.

"I don't think I can do another one."

"Of course you can," Draco insisted, getting to his feet and going over to the bar.

"Four more please, Alfie."

He paid for the drinks and took them back over to their table. Harry took a little coercing but, finally, they knocked them back and Draco wondered if he maybe should have listened to the other man before plying him with more drinks. Harry looked up at him, his eyes unfocused. He opened and closed his mouth a few times. After a moment, he laughed loudly and quickly covered his mouth as though embarrassed by what had just come out of it.

"Ginny's going to be so angry," he whispered gleefully as he wobbled to his feet.

"How the hell did you get so drunk?" Draco looked horrified as the brunette lost his footing and stumbled into the table. "You didn't even have that many!"

"Dunno," he sniggered. "S'funny though."

"I'm not sure you'll be saying that when your wife sees you in this state," Malfoy replied, grabbing the top of Harry's arm to steady him. "Come on, I'm taking you home."

-x-

A/N: Ohhh, Ginny's not going to be too happy when Harry gets home, is she? Now it's time to review! Hehe, go on… you know you want to…