Chapter 2 : Misfortune

The door of the apartment opened and Harry rushed in, closing the door behind him and taking in a deep breath.

What just happened?

Not only Harry had just lied to his best friend about his sexuality but he made up a whole story about him having a boyfriend he is happily in love with for over a month. And what's worse? He promised he'll introduce him to her.

"I'm an idiot!" Harry rubbed his forehead in frustration as he walked into his apartment. He took off his coat and threw it on the couch before lying down.

"What am I going to do now?" Harry bit his lip anxiously. "I can always delay the meeting but Hermione would end up figuring out I was lying to her. Oh Merlin, I don't even want to think about how upset she'd be if she finds out." Harry sighed deeply, trying to think of a solution.

"There's just no way I could ask anyone to play the role of my boyfriend." Harry thought about it for a while and palmed his face in embarrassment.

Tap tap tap

"What if I apologize and tell her we broke up? It might work but then it'll go back to just like it was before and she'll start trying to set me up with not only women but even men." Harry shivered in disgust to the idea.

Tap tap tap

Harry's attention soon drove towards his window. A familiar looking owl was standing behind it, tapping its beak against the glass.

"Oh, it's you." Harry recognized the owl and immediately stood up to walk to the window, opening it and letting the black owl in.

The owl flied into the apartment and ended up landing right on Harry's shoulder. Harry stared at it as it picked a letter with its beak and shoved it on Harry's face.

"Careful." Harry chuckled and picked the letter. "This is for me?" Harry asked, looking into the owl's golden eyes. It nodded.

Harry curiously opened the white envelope. There was no name figuring on it. He pulled out a small piece of white paper, the figuring words were written with green ink.

Harry blinked in surprise and read through.

Dear mysterious savior,

You might not have been expecting this letter, and it is all understandable if it ends up burning in the fireplace for matters of suspicion. But I insist on sending my gratitude for the help you provided my owl yesterday night as it has been interrupted from its task of handing an extremely important note to its destination and ended up at your window due to the violent storm I have been careless enough to not have seen coming.

I assert that the content of that note has been extremely confidential and I am more than glad it arrived to its recipient safely. Raff has informed me about the help you provided him in fixing his wing and I intend to thank you again for the kind act.

In order to thank you properly for your aid, I am more than glad to assist you in any kind of matter. If you could understand how much that note saved me from, you'd fathom the reason behind my offer. Feel free to ask me anything. I repeat, I am more than glad to assist you with anything you'd like.

I am man of my word.

Sincerely,

Slytherin

Harry's eyes blinked in surprise as the owl poked his cheek repeatedly. He looked at the owl and it rubbed its feathers against Harry's cheek. Harry understood it took a liking to him.

"So you're Raff." Harry smiled as he stroked the owl's feathers and the owl poked Harry's cheek in response.

His attention focused back on the letter as he read through it for the third time. As much as he understood, the note Harry had seen yesterday night in Raff's grip was so important and confidential that the Slytherin was ready to give Harry anything he wanted in return to show his gratitude.

Harry read over the last paragraph and his attention focused on the word "Anything".

For a second, Harry thought about his actual situation.

What he needed most right now was a man to play the role of his boyfriend for a certain amount of time and that would act as if he knew Harry well enough. The person has to have good communication skills in order to survive the questioning Hermione would certainly put him through.

Harry opened his mouth and took in a deep breath.

"Dear Slytherin, I need a fake boyfriend to lie to my best friend about me being gay so that she could stop trying to hook me up with random girls. Would you like to be the respectful candidate?" Harry spoke, and sighed deeply at how stupid it sounded.

"For Merlin's sake, if I was the Slytherin I'd be so disgusted I'd throw that letter in the depth of hell and act as if I never read it." Harry muttered, giving up on sounding any more stupid.

Raff cocked his head and Harry flipped the piece of paper he received, picked up a pen and wrote down few words.

Dear Slytherin,

I am more than happy to learn that the note has reached its recipient in the best conditions. I shall thank you for your sincere gratitude and for providing me with such a marvelous reward that I regrettably feel the need to refuse.

I am honestly honored to have been of much assistance to you, and I sincerely appreciate your thoughtful act. I hope it doesn't come as a disappointment that I rejected your honest offer and I ask from you to not take it personally.

Ps: Raff is one witty owl.

Sincerely,

Gryffindor.

With these few words, Harry put the piece of paper back in the envelope and handed it to Raff.

"You've got a generous owner. But sadly he won't be able to help me with my situation." Harry said regretfully before opening the window and releasing the owl.

Harry watched as the owl flied away, his latest hope escaping with it.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to apologize to Hermione before she finds out." He nodded in agreement with himself. "Yes, I'll do that tomorrow." He finally decided.

For the rest of the day, Harry spent his time reading some Dark Art books which sent shivers down Harry's spine. To think some wizards and witches could be this mischievous, no wonder Voldemort had to only make some researches to put his hand on the most destructive spells and charms of all time.

The earlier events of the day came back to haunt Harry and each time he thought about it he sighed deeply, trying to push away the image of Hermione's angry and disappointed expression.

"Merlin, I can't do it." Harry spoke truthfully as he let the book fall down on the table and held his face between his hands. "There must be a way out of this."

He leaned back comfortably in the couch, his eyes fixing the ceiling while thinking of all kind of possibilities there was left for him.

The first person that came to Harry's mind was Blaise Zabini. The man was of course a Slytherin Harry had never got along with but, thanks to the many articles written about him, Harry knew he was openly gay and would hook up with many people at once. Harry once heard he was so smooth he would even attract straight men.

Harry thought of the possibility of asking Zabini to act as his boyfriend for few days. The man was a good talker and Hermione wouldn't be surprised that Harry chose him. He was also good looking, now that Harry thinks about it.

Harry nodded, he liked the idea, but first, he had to make sure Zabini was man of his word and wouldn't divulge any further information to the press. In other words, Harry has to try him out.

With that idea in mind, Harry spent the rest of the evening thinking of ways to tell Blaise without making a full out of himself.

The next day, after his daily shift at the Auror Department which ended up with Harry having to fill up a load of report papers and sending them to the Minister of Magic, Harry rushed out of his office and headed towards a close pub.

It was cold outside. The middle of winter approached and Harry was worried about his health so he decided to dress up warmly. He had thrown a scarf around his neck and put on a coat before leaving his house this morning.

Harry walked into the pub, leaving the coldness behind and embracing the warmth of the small place. His eyes traveled around the pub. It was his first time here. Few people sat here and there and it didn't take Harry much before he noticed the figure of the man he was supposed to meet sitting in a far corner.

Harry stepped towards the table by the window side and took a sit right in front of the man. Zabini's eyes landed on Harry as soon as he sat down, and a wide smirk traced upon his lips.

"What a surprise. The famous Harry Potter asking me for a drink out of nowhere. I must confess that I haven't seen this coming in a hundred years." Blaise spoke those words in an amused voice and Harry could clearly notice the seductive tone he was using.

Harry felt utterly uncomfortable but decided to pull himself together. He had to do this no matter how much he disliked Zabini.

"Good evening, Zabini." Harry greeted him. "Well, this proves you were wrong." He pointed out and Blaise let out a faint chuckle.

"I was joking, Potter. I am more than honored to be in the list of people you would ask for a drink." Blaise answered with a small grin, his hazel eyes fixed Harry's green ones. "So, what made you think of my small name among all the famous ones you have in your address book?"

Blaise's question put Harry in an alarmed state. Of course he had seen this coming. Harry had never been close to Zabini to begin with, so no wonder the man would find it suspicious that he asked him for a drink out of nowhere.

"I have been running through more than one article about you, Zabini. Your name has sure become famous lately." Harry stated.

Blaise arched an eyebrow.

"You mean the articles about me being gay and hooking up with many wizards at once? Don't tell me you believe whatever you read on the papers, Potter." Blaise sighed and shook his head.

"Does that mean it isn't?" Harry asked.

Blaise kept silent for a while before letting out a faint chuckle, his eyes fixed Harry's and his lips parted slightly as he licked the upper one in a quick movement. Harry fidgeted.

"Well, if you want it to be, then yes it is." Blaise answered, leaning over on the table to rest his chin on the palm of his hand. Harry scooted back in his chair.

"What about you, Potter? Heard you've got a divorce few months ago. Could it be you've found out women weren't in your liking?" Blaise asked with interest, his hand left his glass of firewhisky and approached slowly Harry's. "Is that the reason you're asking for assistance from someone who has experience in the field?"

Harry's hands were set on the table, frozen. He didn't know how to respond. He hasn't seen this coming at all. This situation differed from all the scenarios he had went through while thinking about this meeting yesterday night.

"What are you getting at, Zabini?" Harry asked dryly, swallowing afterwards, noticing he was getting short on saliva.

Blaise's eyes never failed to stare right into Harry's, his hand approached closer and his fingers touched Harry's slightly. Harry shuddered in surprise yet didn't move.

"Do I really have to explain?" Blaise spoke smoothly, and Harry found himself getting pulled in his trap. The man was truly handsome and Harry couldn't deny it. Along with the way he acted and the tone he put in his voice as he spoke, it was the perfect combination.

Was this why he was famous for turning straight men gay? Or was it that Harry was never straight to begin with?

The realization hit Harry hard. This was getting confusing and a small feeling of anxiousness buried deep inside Harry started taking over.

Harry's sweaty hand closed into a fist, escaping Blaise's touch, but soon regretted his action as Blaise's hand smoothly traced over the back of Harry's hand, stroking it.

Harry almost jolted as he clenched his fists and looked aside.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Zabini." Harry denied, his eyes fixed back on his. "Moreover, the reason why I asked you for a drink was because I was simply curious about how much you changed through time. I have been setting up meetings like this with many others in case you were wondering." Harry lied, retrieving immediately his hand and stood up. "Well it was nice seeing you after all this time, but I have to head off now."

Harry was about to leave when Blaise's hand wrapped around his wrist and stopped him. Harry looked back at him in surprise.

"You've become such a fine handsome man, Potter. I'm seriously amazed." Blaise showed a wide smirk, different from all the other ones. It was a seductive smile and Harry must admit he almost fell for that one.

"I'll see you around, Zabini." Harry dryly answered before sliding his hand from Blaise's grip and walked away.

Blaise's eyes followed Harry's figure that reached for the door and disappeared behind it. He brushed his tongue quickly over his lips and bit his bottom one.

"Looks like I have set my eyes on my next target." Blaise whispered before ordering a second glass of firewhisky.

Harry rushed his way out of the neighborhood, his hand was still burning from the earlier touch and his heart was racing in both confusion and anxiousness.

It failed, the plan failed.

Harry didn't manage to tell Blaise the reason behind the meeting. Blaise didn't seem very trustworthy and Harry felt like he made the right decision by lying to him.

But that's not what was worrying Harry right now.

Harry found Blaise averagely handsome, and although he passionately disliked the man, his body still responded to his flirting and almost responded to it, which set Harry's mind into confusion.

Harry thought of yesterday's events. When he told Hermione he was gay, it didn't feel wrong at all. Instead, Harry was surprised by how he played along to make Hermione believe it and she actually did.

This didn't seem right.

No matter how much he thought about it, Harry felt that he was missing something.

Harry bit his lip nervously as he rushed into the first alley he could find. It was getting dark outside and he was mentally tired after the meeting. At the corner of the next alley, Harry deaparated back to his apartment.

Back to his home sweet home, Harry found nothing but an empty space. Since when had his apartment been this quiet and boring?

Harry sighed, took off his coat and hanged it by the door side. He took off his shoes and stepped into the apartment.

So much has happened these past two days and Harry couldn't put up with all of it. He had just started his so-called plan and he was already exhausted.

Harry mentally crossed Blaise Zabini's name out of the list of people to play the role of his partner.

Earlier today, Harry had made few researches here and there and had spotted few more gay people in his surroundings he had never known of before. He was quite surprised when he read an article about an Auror divorcing his wife to live with his male lover, only to find out later that that Auror was none other than Harry's partner back in their Auror training years. Harry then thought about asking him for a drink next time.

Aside from this entire boyfriend-seeking mission, Ron seemed quite bothered around Harry today and Harry hated to admit knowing the reason. Hermione must've told him about what happened Sunday morning. Not to mention that tomorrow he'll be having lunch with him and Merlin knows what kind of faces he'll be pulling and what weird questions he'd be asking.

Harry relaxed his tired body on the couch and felt his stomach growl in hunger although he wasn't in any mood to make dinner.

Tap tap tap

Harry jolted to the familiar sound of tapping at his window. His eyes averted towards it to notice what he was expecting. Raff, the owl was here.

Harry stood up curiously and let the owl in. To his surprise, Raff had brought a new letter. This one had a red envelope.

"You again? And is that another letter?" Harry received a simple nod before the owl waved the letter at him, batting its wings impatiently. "I get it. You want me to read it. Alright"

Apparently the owner did not seem satisfied with Harry's rejection to his generous offer, Harry thought. Now that he remembered, Harry felt slight regret for not being honest with the person. Who knows maybe he would've been of a better help than Blaise Zabini?

Harry quickly picked the letter from Raff's hold and opened it right away to read through the lines.

Dear Gryffindor,

I apologize for my persistent behavior but as I received your letter yesterday, Raff informed me that you indeed needed help in some special matter.

Harry's eyes snapped open in surprise as he read the following.

A person that is qualified enough to stand by your side and survive the questioning of your dear friend while playing the role of the perfect boyfriend. Now, I have to confess that I find this idea both humorous and interesting.

Harry's mouth dropped open and his eyes immediately landed on Raff, the owl cocked its head innocently.

"Raff, you told him? You… How does an owl even talk?" Harry blurted out in confusion, only receiving a small nod from the witty owl.

If Harry could recall, Hermione did mention the existence of a certain spell that translates animal language, but he never really paid it any attention himself.

Raff's owner must've certainly used that spell on him. Therefore, Raff told him everything he had heard Harry speak out loudly the day before.

"Merlin, that is so embarrassing." Harry's face flushed but decided to finish reading the letter first.

I am rather confident about my charming skills, and after providing me with such an enormous help once -which I would never cease to thank you enough for -I am more than willing to assist you in this matter by playing the role of the partner you've been seeking.

In order to present me with further information, I would like to ask to meet you personally before the start of this interesting plan.

Feel free to think this through. I'll be waiting patiently for your answer,

Sincerely,

Slytherin.

Accepting the offer? Meeting personally? Playing the role of his partner?

Did the mysterious Slytherin just accepted to help Harry out with his scandalous situation?

"Merlin, this is perfect!" Harry's face lit up with a wide smile before he quickly closed his mouth shut, noticing the owl was still close.

"You better not spy on me without my knowledge next time, you witty owl." Harry frowned its way before patting its head. "But I guess it's all thanks to you that I found a solution."

With that in mind, Harry didn't hesitate to pick up his pen and flip over the letter. He noted down the time and place for a meeting before sending the letter with Raff.

"Tomorrow evening. I'm looking forward to this." Harry smiled to himself, finding the whole situation strangely exciting.

The following day, Harry's luck ran out.

After waking up late, leaving his house without his umbrella and getting caught up in the rain to end up soaked before reaching his office, Harry wondered what else was there for him to survive.

It took him many drying spells before he could get his clothes dry. His body on the other hand still ached in cold and he wished he could just rush back home and take a long warm shower.

The rain didn't cease to fall and Harry's mood got gloomier. Just as expected, he made so many mistakes, messed up too many reports, and wrote wrong information in wrong places. The Auror was exhausted both mentally and physically before lunch break arrived and Ron showed up at his office door.

"Hey, mate. Doing alright over there?" Ron asked as he walked in. "You looked quite tense earlier, you got me worried."

Harry's eyes left the scattered papers on the desk to land on Ron.

"It's lunch break already?" Harry asked in a tired voice before letting his pen fall on the wooden surface of the desk and rested against his chair. "I am so done. Today is just not my day." Harry sighed deeply.

Ron took a sit on the comfortable chair in front of him, crossing his legs as he picked up some papers Harry tossed aside and read through them.

"I could tell since you arrived late. You were a mess." Ron's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Bloody hell, mate, those sure are a lot of mistakes." Ron concluded after putting the tossed papers in the trash bin. "Are you sure you don't want to head back home and rest instead? You're as pale as a ghost."

Harry sighed. His eyes fixed the ceiling as he remembered his meeting with the Slytherin later this evening. After surviving such a horrible day, it better be worth it, Harry thought then stood up.

"I'm going to grab something to eat, you're coming?" Harry asked and Ron nodded immediately.

"I was planning to ask you myself." Ron said as he stood up as well. "I wanted to ask you something."

There it is, the investigation starts. After Hermione, now it's Ron's turn to ask Harry all kind of questions Harry was avoiding. Harry shrugged it off and left the office, Ron was never a big threat.

Harry quickly regretted thinking that.

Unlike his expectations, Ron seemed calm, too calm for Harry's liking, and Harry wondered if that was the face he always pulls out when about to murder someone.

They both ordered the same meal, fried pork with rice, French fries, a salad and pumpkin juice. Not to forget Harry's favorite dessert, a chocolate muffin.

The awkward silence that set up while each of the Aurors ate his food made Harry more self-conscious.

He started wondering what was on his best friend's mind. Obviously, Hermione gave him the full report concerning their meeting last Sunday. Ron certainly thinks Harry is gay and that he's spending happy times with his new boyfriend hanging out and having dates everyday.

The click of the fork sitting on the top of the empty plate was heard and Harry lifted up his eyes to meet Ron's who seemed finally ready to speak.

"So, I heard that you…" Ron started, stopping midway as Harry put his fork down and met his gaze.

"That I'm gay and have been dating another man for over a month now? Yes, what you heard is true." Harry interrupted, feeling suddenly impulsive.

Ron blinked in surprise, stayed calm for few second before answering.

"I was going to say that I heard you met up with Blaise Zabini yesterday, but I guess you just answered my other question." Ron seemed somehow calmer than usual.

Harry got caught by surprise and cursed himself for jumping to conclusion.

"So you're dating Zabini?" Ron asked.

"Hell no! What are you talking about, Ron?" Harry quickly replied.

"Some of our co-workers were walking by that neighborhood yesterday night and said they saw you having an 'intimate' time with the Slytherin. Is that true?" Ron asked, eying Harry suspiciously.

There was no way Harry could tell Ron the true reason behind his meeting with Zabini. Although he was burning to tell him about his current situation and ask for help, but Ron being Hermione's husband wasn't helping.

"He just asked me for a drink and I couldn't refuse." Harry lied.

Ron's eyes opened wide and Harry could see pure relief in them.

"Mate, you almost gave me a heart attack!" Ron's sigh was so deep, he looked like he was holding his breath since they both walked in the restaurant. His calm serious figure changed into the usual outgoing one and Harry felt relieved to see his best friend acting normal again.

"Hermione and I have been spending these past days wondering who the guy might be. I mentioned seeing you at a pub with Zabini and no matter how I explained there's no way he's the one you're dating, she still couldn't believe it." Ron explained as he gulped some of his pumpkin juice and sighed in relief. "She said something about him being your type, I told her that didn't make any sense. She just doesn't listen" He complained.

Harry blinked more than once at Ron's words. Hermione has a point. Zabini was indeed handsome and he was the first person Harry thought of while thinking of a candidate. And if it wasn't for his flirty attitude, Harry would've asked him for help and Hermione would've believed it in the blink of an eye.

To think his best friend knew Harry more than he did, Harry will never underestimate Hermione. The woman was purely genius.

"So, who's he?" Ron suddenly asked, snapping Harry out of his thoughts.

"Who's who?"

"Are you kidding me, mate? I'm talking about the mysterious man you've been with for over a month and that you've been hiding well enough that not even Hermione saw it coming." Ron crossed his hands over the table and leaned over, his eyes were focusing on Harry who felt suddenly concerned.

"Well… He…Er…" Harry stuttered, thinking of a way to escape the questioning he feared the most.

Ron looked focused on each word Harry spoke.

"I get it." He said, giving up and laying back against his chair. "You're keeping the surprise for the Christmas party, right?"

"The Christmas party?!" Harry shouted, and the few people in the restaurant gave him a weird stare. Harry sat back down on his chair, his horrified expression clear on his face.

"What do you mean by a party?"

"Mate, where have you been when the Minister sent us a note this morning?" Ron asked, and Harry remembered receiving a letter earlier that he completely ignored due to his bad mood. "The party is for next week, me and Hermione are having a bet on figuring out who your date would be." Ron explained. "I should've known you were too stubborn to tell. Now I need to find out myself."

Harry's ears stopped processing Ron's words right after he mentioned the Christmas party.

So now, Harry doesn't only have to introduce a fake boyfriend to his friends, but to hundreds of guests. Not to mention that it will end up in the first page of the Daily Prophet and in less than a day, the whole Wizarding world would know that Harry is a fresh gay man living the happy love adventure with his new boyfriend.

Harry could already imagine the headline "The reason behind Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley's divorce has been revealed"

No, this can't be. This must be a nightmare.

This has gone too far and Harry has to stop it now.

Harry stood up and put his coat back on.

"Harry? The break isn't over yet." Ron tilted his head, surprised by his friend's behavior.

"Um, I should probably finish the work to get back home earlier. I'm not feeling so well." Harry answered. "I'll see you later, Ron."

Ron simply nodded and Harry headed out of the restaurant.

Later that day, Harry had to go over a load of report papers waiting for him on his office desk. He made sure to put aside all the bad events of the day and concentrate on his task to make it out of the Department one hour earlier than usual.

Harry checked the time, it was 5 p.m. and he had two more hours before the meeting with the Slytherin. He made a quick excuse to escape having a drink with his co-workers and headed back home right away. A warm long shower was all Harry needed to get his mood slightly better and settle his ideas.

It started with a little lie and ended with a huge problem. Harry should've seen this coming.

No matter how much he thought about it, the best solution was to apologize as early as possible and clear the misunderstanding. Hermione would be angry and he had to get along with it. She'll forgive him after a while anyway.

But Hermione wasn't the only problem right now. What about the Slytherin he will be meeting in less than an hour? What excuse will he be telling him?

"We'll meet up. I'll explain everything and apologize for the inconvenience." Harry noted and let out a long sigh. "Snap, I'm going to be late!" He cursed his laziness and stepped out of the bathtub, put a towel around his waist and headed out.

Harry didn't think twice before putting on his best clothing, a navy blue suit and a jet black tie that matched perfectly with the leather shoes.

The Auror put on his dark brown coat on top of his suit, grab his umbrella in case and headed out, only to deaparate few steps into a dark alley close to the meeting place.

Harry chose a calm fancy restaurant far from the usual neighborhood to avoid the bad scenario of running into one of his acquaintances.

Harry used a Tempus Charm to make sure he made it in time. He walked out of the alley and headed into the restaurant. To his biggest surprise, there were far too many people than expected and his eyes quickly traveled around to see any familiar faces. Luckily there was none. Before he left his apartment, Harry of course made sure to take off his glasses, used a spell to adjust his sight and hid his scar to avoid any kind of unwanted confrontations. Although he still felt tense in crowded places.

Harry's eyes fixed on the table he had reserved. It was the only table with only one of the chairs occupied by a certain blond man. Harry couldn't see his face which was hidden behind the menu he was reading through. From only the way he was sitting, one leg crossing the other, and each arm on the side of the table while grabbing the menu, Harry could tell he was having some kind of elegant aura flowing out of him.

Harry's heart began racing for some strange reason and he took in a deep breath before walking towards him. As he reached the table, Harry took off his coat and the waiter rushed towards him to take care of it. Harry thanked him and pulled the chair to take a sit in front of the man.

"Anything I can get for you sirs?" The waiter asked before he could dismiss.

"Er, a glass of water would be nice for now." Harry responded and the waiter nodded with a smile before walking away.

"Potter?" A strangely familiar voice reached Harry's ear.

Hearing his name being spoken in a familiar tone got Harry immediately alarmed. Harry's eyes drifted back towards the man sitting in front of him who had lowered his menu and whose face was in shock, grey wide eyes staring right at Harry.

It took Harry less than a second to recognize him, and his latest hope went crushing down.

"Malfoy."