A/N: Here is the before. Roughly about two years before Part 1 and 2 happened. There's a bit of cursing in this part. Enjoy!
Roughly two years before the present
Harry and Ron, newly appointed aurors, sat in their office, kicking back, looking absolutely tickled pink being there.
"Can you believe it? We're actually aurors," Ron beamed.
"With our own office!" Harry exclaimed.
They grinned at each other and then went about moving things around their desks to look very important. They were finally aurors.
XXXX
Six months later
"You know that lab that was put in for the auror department, the one that focuses solely on our department and any cases that we're handed that don't need to be handled by other departments?" Ron asked.
Harry looked up from the report he was working on. "Yeah, what about it?" he asked absently, frowning slightly as he looked back down at the report.
"I heard a rumor as to who was going to be the lab tech," Ron continued. Harry hummed in response and Ron frowned. "Draco Malfoy," he finished. He leaned back in his seat, watching his friend and partner process this new information.
Harry froze, dropping his quill from his grip. He slowly looked up. "Who?" he asked, sure that he misunderstood or didn't hear him correctly.
"Draco. Malfoy." Ron repeated, saying his name as if it were two sentences.
Harry sat back and crossed his arms. "What is he up to?"
Ron shrugged. "I hear that he's very good at what he does and that he'll be an asset," he replied, choking slightly.
Harry chuckled, but frowned. "Quite convenient, wouldn't you say?"
"What?" Ron asked in confusion.
"That he works at the Ministry. Following in his father's footsteps. Placing himself in the Ministry, the auror department even," Harry muttered.
Ron shook his head. "Mate, I don't like it much more than you, but let's not be suspicious of him. Maybe give him a chance?"
Harry shook his head and stood up. "I'm going down there," he stated.
Ron went to say something, to stop him, but he was already out the door. He sighed and went back to work. Harry set down the hall determined to find out just what Draco Malfoy was playing at. What is his ulterior motive for being here?
He arrived at the lab and debated about knocking. He chose not to, not allowing Draco the chance to stop doing something that he shouldn't be doing. Harry walked right in and stopped just inside the lab. He looked around in surprise, marveling at how awesome the room looked. He started walking around, completely forgetting his purpose for being there. It looked like he had already started working on things for the department, a lot of great things.
"That didn't take you long," someone said to Harry's right.
He turned and looked over and saw Draco Malfoy standing there looking at him. He looked mostly the same, but something was different. Harry couldn't quite place it. "Malfoy," he replied.
"What can I do for you, Potter?" he asked, crossing his arms.
Harry glanced around, seeing nothing nefarious. Granted, that didn't mean that he wasn't doing something bad. "Um, just wanted to say welcome and uh, I hope you like it here," he replied.
Draco lifted his brow. "You suck at lying, Potter," he joked.
Harry glared at him and puffed his chest out slightly. "Welcome to the department, Malfoy," he stated and turned on his heel before he said something stupid.
XXXX
Two months later
"Merlin, this fucking hurts!" Harry cried as he cradled his hand to his chest. He had just taken a spell to his hand that nearly severed a finger or two. Luckily, the healers at St. Mungo's were able to fix it, but it hurt badly. Harry couldn't remember a time when he had hurt this bad. Hermione stood nearby, a healer in training, watching them work on her best friend. Ron was pacing in the lobby.
Back at the auror department, Draco was out in the main office, picking up some supplies that he needed. He heard someone mention Harry's name and he looked up, trying to listen to what they were saying. He knew he was out in the field.
"Harry's over at St. Mungo's getting stitched up. He nearly lost a couple of fingers to a hex," he heard one of the junior aurors say to someone else.
Draco's eyes widened and he went into his lab. He knew that the aurors wore gloves, but he knew they did nothing to protect them from spells. He grabbed a pair and set to work. Harry wasn't going to risk this injury again if he had anything to say about it.
The following day, Harry was back at work, filling out paperwork. He wasn't going to be able to be in the field for a couple of days. He hated that. Ron was on another mission and Harry was bored of paperwork so he started wandering around the department. He made his way to Draco's lab and walked in. Draco was hunched over a table putting the finishing touches on something.
"How's your hand?" he asked without looking up from his task.
How does he always know it's me? "I've still got all my fingers so that's good, right?" he commented nonchalantly.
Draco glanced over at him and nodded. "Yes, that would be well considering you need them to grip your wand," he replied.
"What are you working on?" he asked.
Draco sighed and stood up straight. He stretched his neck and then lifted the gloves. He handed them to Harry. "Put them on," he requested.
Harry sighed and did as he was asked. He looked down in surprise at how comfortable they felt, better than the ones they had now. He turned them over and examined the fingers and noticed that they had grippers. He released his wand and flicked it around a bit, feeling how secure it was. "Wow, Malfoy, these are pretty great," he complimented.
Draco smiled slightly. "That's not all there is to them," he pointed out.
"What else is there?" Harry asked.
Draco released his wand. Harry looked at him a bit nervously. "Let me show you something," he said.
"Um, what?" he asked uncertainly.
Draco laughed slightly. "Trust me, Potter, I'm not going to hurt you," he said sincerely.
Harry sighed. He had been doing very well there and as more time passed, Harry figured that Draco was there because he was good at what he does. He nodded his permission. Draco nodded in agreement and then flicked his wrist, muttering a cutting spell. Harry's eyes widened as he heard the hex that had just been cast at him the day before. He closed his eyes, felt the spell hit his hand, and braced for the pain. When it didn't come, he opened his eyes and looked at his hand and then back at Draco in surprise.
"What happened?" he asked in confusion.
Draco looked pleased with himself and he put his wand away. "I've just created gloves for you and the other aurors to prevent something like what happened yesterday from happening again," he replied simply.
Harry's eyes widened and he looked down at them again. "Brilliant," he complimented again. "Thank you," Harry added, looking up at him.
Draco blushed slightly and nodded. "Just doing my job, Potter. Now if you'll excuse me. I have to duplicate those for the rest of the aurors."
XXXX
Three months later
"Where's Potter?" Draco asked by way of greeting when he stepped into Ron and Harry's office.
Ron looked up at him in surprise. He heard something in Draco's tone that surprised him. He sounded worried. "He's getting checked out by the healers. He took a stunner to the chest and it left quite the mark," he replied.
Draco's eyes widened and he frowned, worrying his lip. Ron's brows lifted as the wheels started turning. Harry had been injured many times since Draco had started working in the department. He had already created new gloves, better protection on their boots, and guards on their shins. All of which were areas that Harry had been injured at since he started.
"What happened?" he asked.
Ron leaned forward. "We were just trying to arrest someone who had robbed a couple of stores in Diagon Alley. Harry chased him down the alley while I circled around to cut him off. When I got to the other side, the guy was stunned and wrapped in ropes while Harry was lying on the ground clutching at his chest. I rushed over and checked on him. He had just taken a stunner to the chest and had quite the welt. The healers said he'll be fine, just some pain meds are needed," Ron explained.
Draco sighed and nodded, some color coming back into his face. "Well, very well then. Thank you," he said and he turned on his heel and left Ron's office. Ron frowned in thought. Just then, Hermione walked in looking a bit harried.
"I've just been getting Harry settled in at home. He's doing well and the pain meds have kicked in so he'll probably be sleeping for the rest of the day. Did I just see Malfoy in here?" she asked.
Ron nodded. "Yeah, he wanted to see about what happened to Harry," he commented thoughtfully.
Hermione's brows lifted and she grinned slightly. "Do you think he'll have a chest protector made by the time Harry is back?" she questioned.
Ron chuckled and nodded. "Yes. As a matter of fact, he's probably already down there designing one. He likes Harry, doesn't he?"
Hermione nodded. "I think he does. I bet Harry doesn't even have a clue," she commented.
Ron snorted. "Not at all," he replied.
XXXX
One month later
"Hey, Malfoy, how's it going?" Ron asked casually as he strolled into the lab.
Draco looked up immediately and zeroed in on his expression. "What happened now?" he demanded.
Ron looked slightly sheepish. "We got called in and didn't have time to get all our gear. Harry had his chest protector at home so he's over at St. Mungo's getting checked out. It wasn't so bad this time so he'll be back shortly, I'm sure," Ron replied.
Draco growled in annoyance and threw his project down on the table. "How hard is it?" he muttered angrily.
"Look, it wasn't on purpose. He usually wears it. We were just called in on our day off," he tried.
Draco shook his head and picked up his project again. Ron took that as his cue to leave so he did. He got back upstairs and saw Harry sitting at his desk, filling out paperwork. "Alright, mate?" he asked as he came in and sat down at his desk.
Harry looked up and smiled. "Of course. Where were you?" he asked.
Ron looked away sheepishly. Harry groaned. "I'm sorry. I tried to make it better," he apologized.
Harry rolled his eyes and stood. He knew that he'd have to face Draco at some point. He might as well do it now. Anytime he got hurt when he wasn't wearing his gear, Draco told him a thing or two about why he needed to wear it. He walked to the lab and walked in.
Draco was facing the door this time. He was scowling as he looked up at Harry. "How many times do I have to say it?" Draco asked.
Harry closed his eyes. "I know. Carry my gear at all times. I'm sorry," he replied.
"Why do I waste my fucking time making this stuff for you…. all? You don't fucking wear it! I don't make it just to give myself something to do. I do it so that you…are all kept safe. What's it going to take, Potter?" he demanded angrily.
Harry's mouth dropped open in surprise. He was used to Draco's rants by now as he heard them frequently, but this was a bit more than usual. More heated than usual. "Look, Malfoy, it was an honest mistake."
"Honest mistakes are going to get you killed," he responded heatedly.
Harry frowned. He watched as Draco stormed away and slammed the door of his office. Harry debated about going to talk to him, but he chose to just turn right around and go yell at Ron for once again ratting him out.
He stormed back upstairs and walked into the office. Ron looked up at him expectantly. "Thanks a lot, partner! Malfoy just yelled at me for no reason at all! Why does he work here again?" he demanded angrily.
Ron sighed. "He's the best in the business and we need him. Besides, it was not for no reason. You got hurt and wouldn't have had you been wearing the chest protector. I'm sorry he yelled at you, but I think the bloke worries about your safety. I think he likes you," Ron responded, not for the first time telling Harry what he thought about Draco's feelings for him.
Harry snorted and threw himself into his desk chair. "Yeah, right. The bloke hates me. He just does all this stuff so he can look good in the department head's eyes. You're nuts if you think he likes me," he snorted again and shook his head.
Ron frowned. Harry could be so dense sometimes.
XXXX
Draco sat in his lab, working on a case that was brought in a week ago. The evidence he was looking at stumped him. He couldn't quite get a grasp on what it was all about, but he could feel a breakthrough coming. He looked up in surprise when he heard a commotion on the other side of the door. He unsheathed his wand and opened the door, looking out. People were moving about at a quick pace. Everyone. Draco felt his stomach turn in nervousness. He walked out and heard words that he didn't want to hear. "Casualties." "Multiple injuries." "Harry Potter."
He reached out and grabbed the person that had said Harry's name. "What about Harry?" he asked.
"The raid he was on went badly. He's at St. Mungo's. They aren't sure if he's going to make it," the person said, their eyes wide with worry for a fellow auror.
Draco felt his stomach drop to his feet and knew his face had gone pale. He knew that he had to get to St. Mungo's. He needed to know if Harry was safe. He rushed out of the department and flooed directly to St. Mungo's. He tumbled out of the floo and made it to the emergency department. Hermione was standing in the lobby, directing mediwizards and witches to different areas. She looked in the zone, but her eyes betrayed her. Draco made it over to her quickly.
"Where is he?" he demanded by way of greeting.
Hermione looked up at him in surprise and then her look softened. "He's being worked on right now. Go wait in the waiting area. Ron's in there," she said softly.
Draco wanted to shake her for being so calm. How could she be? Draco felt like he was going to crawl out of his own skin. He made his way blindly to the waiting room and settled in next to Ron who was leaning forward, head in his hands. He turned slightly and looked up at Draco who was staring at the emergency room doors with a panicked look.
"Malfoy, what are you doing here?" Ron asked.
Draco turned to look at him and Ron looked back at him, smiling slightly at the look that was on Draco's face. It solidified what he already knew. Draco fancied Harry, a lot. Draco scowled at him and despite the circumstances, Ron grinned, but said nothing. "What happened?" Draco asked, his voice cracking.
Ron ignored the crack. He ran his hand through his hair, his brief moment of reprieve from his worry disappearing. "The raid went bad. MacNair had a booby trap set and nearly all of us got caught up in it. Harry picked up on it at the last moment, shoving people out of the way before he took the brunt of it. It's why he's in there," Ron replied, gesturing to the emergency room doors.
"Where the hell were you?" Draco demanded angrily.
Ron sighed. "I was at the back of the group, bringing up the rear. We've done this a thousand times. This is the first time something like this happened," Ron insisted.
"It's fucking MacNair! I could have told you that you'd all be in a world of hurt!" Draco exclaimed.
Ron sighed. "I know. Look, he was wearing his gear so I'm sure that those parts of him will be fine. Harry will be fine. I'm sure of it," Ron replied.
Draco leaned forward and buried his face in his hands. All the things that he had noticed over the months that he had been working in the auror department in regards to Harry came flooding into his mind. All the times that he made something new because Harry was hurt. All the times that he and Harry exchanged banter. Every nuance that belonged to Harry Potter. He was sitting behind those doors, fighting for his life and he had the power to keep him safe. He had the skills to do it and he didn't. If anything happened to him…. He shook his head, unwilling to go down that path.
Hours passed and then finally, a healer came out looking exhausted. "He's resting now. You can come back if you'd like," the healer said, mostly to Ron.
Ron nodded and stood up. He looked down at Draco who was looking up at the healer, trying to get an idea of how Harry was. "Come on, Malfoy. It'll drive you crazy if you don't go and see him," Ron suggested.
Draco wanted to argue and say that he was being ridiculous, but he knew that was a lie. He stood and followed them into the emergency room. They went down a few hallways and finally arrived at a private room. They stepped in and walked forward. Hermione was already sitting next to Harry, holding his hand. Ron went and stood next to her, placing his hand on her shoulder. Draco froze as he looked down at the greatest wizard he knew. The man who had been the bane of his existence for years. He stared at him, feeling something shift inside him and settle.
"Every place that he had your protection on is perfectly fine. No damage. Everywhere else, he's injured. He'll pull through though. It could be a lot worse," Hermione said as she looked over at Draco.
Draco nodded and stepped a bit closer. Harry looked so pale. He had to do something. He left after a half an hour, itching to get to work. He would visit Harry every day, while he slept, until he was released. He didn't want Harry to know that his feelings for him had shifted. He didn't want anyone to know. It would do him no good as Harry Potter hated him.