…:::…
Draco Malfoy finally exhaled.
MLE officers swarmed the scene now, taking photographs, herding Muggle witnesses away to await obliviation, and repairing the damage that had been done to the surrounding buildings.
"You can put your wand away."
Draco glanced to his left to where Potter was still standing next to him. His ever-misbehaving hair was sticking out at odd angles and he had a black smudge across one cheek. It matched the dark circles under his eyes. Draco wondered if he looked as exhausted as Potter did. "Right," he said, though he didn't lower his wand.
"You okay?" Potter was watching him with an odd expression on his face.
Draco grimaced. "Other than that I need a fucking shower, yes." He holstered his wand.
"So do I. And a shave."
"And a strong cup of tea."
"And a real toilet."
After a month of work, of constantly being on watch, on the run -- it was over. The wandfight had been anticlimactic after everything that had happened; he had expected this part to be harder, somehow. "Well, I'm off then. The paperwork can wait until tomorrow, right?"
Potter looked as if he were going to argue for a moment, but he didn't say anything. He shrugged and nodded.
"Thanks, Potter. I mean it. I fully expected this assignment to be… well, sheer torture, to be honest. But you're not as much of a prick as I'd anticipated." He smiled.
"You were far more of a prick than I'd anticipated," Potter retorted with a grin. "But yeah. We made a half-decent team."
"And with any luck, we'll never have to do it again. See you around, Potter." Draco gave him a curt wave and turned away, heading off towards the temporary apparition boundary the MLE had set around the site. He just needed to find the supervising officer on the scene and get himself released, and then this whole thing would finally be over.
He missed the stricken look on Potter's face as he walked away.
…:::…
Draco had never thought he'd be so happy to see his office. An entire day of sitting at a desk catching up on paperwork sounded positively blissful after weeks of chasing a criminal around the country from one Muggle town to another. He'd had enough of being cold and dirty to last him a lifetime.
He settled at his desk with a happy sigh. Even his hard wooden chair felt good. Familiar. He rummaged through his desk drawer for his favorite quill.
"I suppose congratulations are in order." He glanced up to see Granger leaning in the doorway, smiling at him. "I heard it went well."
"Here to gloat, are you?"
She took a sip from her ever-present mug of coffee. "About what?"
"About Potter. You were right, of course. We did make a good team."
A strange smile spread over her face and she stepped forward, settling in a chair across from his desk. "Did you now?"
Draco suppressed a groan as she sat -- she only did that when she expected a lengthy chat, and this was not how he'd planned to spend his first morning back. "Don't you have somewhere to be? A meeting? A rally for magical creature rights? Or dare I hope, an appointment at a hair salon?"
"Nothing that can't wait. Go on, you were just saying how very well you and Harry got on." She grinned at him.
He rolled his eyes. "Oh honestly, don't you think of anything else? This is Potter we're talking about, for fuck's sake."
"Even you have to admit he's easy on the eyes."
"I have to admit nothing." He rearranged some stacks of papers on his desk in an attempt to look as if he were very busy, but she didn't take the hint.
"You spent an entire month with him. Surely the two of you developed some sort of friendship. Or… whatever."
"He's straight, Granger. Surely you know that."
"I wouldn't be so sure." She took another sip from her mug and smiled at him.
Draco slumped in his seat. "Why are you suddenly so keen on finding me a boyfriend?"
"You need one. And Harry--"
"Is not interested in me. He's quite a good Auror, though. And cleverer than I'd expected. Not Ravenclaw material by any stretch, but not as much of a dolt as I'd always thought."
"Then perhaps some gloating is in order after all."
Draco sighed. "Yes, you were right. You told me he'd be brilliant, and we'd be better off working together to catch Bartleman than working separately, and you were completely, absolutely, one hundred percent correct. Happy?"
"Of course. I'm looking forward to reading your report. You'll get it to me by Friday?"
"Depends on how detailed you want it."
She smiled at him as she stood. "Oh, you know me. I want all the details."
…:::…
His dictaquill was scribbling madly on a long roll of parchment when a knock on the door interrupted him. He scowled and pointed his wand at the parchment to erase the words [knocking] and [grumble].
"Yes?" he called, injecting a great deal of frustrated displeasure into his tone.
The door opened and a familiar dark head peeked through. "Hi." Potter blinked at him, looking unusually nervous.
"Ah, Potter. I thought you were someone else. Please come in." Draco leaned back in his chair and gestured at the empty one across from him. "What brings you all the way down to our lowly end of the building?"
Potter sat and glanced around at Draco's office. "Your offices are terribly small."
Draco rolled his eyes. "Yes, well, we can't all be as fantastically important as you lot, can we?"
Potter looked startled. "I didn't mean it that way."
"Of course you did, but it's no matter. Are you all right? You seem a bit jumpy."
Potter's cheeks flushed a bit. "I'm fine, I just… I came here to ask you something."
"I've already told you that I don't have the budget to cover that hotel in Leeds. You said you'd take care of it, so don't go asking me to pull any strings now."
Potter looked baffled for a moment. "No, nothing like that. It's just -- Would you be interested in getting a pint after work?"
Draco blinked at him. "Oh, is that all? Well, ordinarily I would, but tonight I've got plans. Some of the blokes are taking me out. You're welcome to come along, if you like." As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them -- the theme of this particular pub outing was to celebrate his surviving a month of working with Potter. Odd that he'd forgotten it. "Of course, it's mostly a Slytherin get-together. We do it once a month. Might be awkward." He shrugged in a manner he hoped was sufficiently dismissive.
Potter chewed his lower lip and nodded. "Right. Maybe another time?"
Draco tore his eyes away from Potter's mouth. Potter was indeed easy on the eyes. Best not to let himself think about it. "Sure. How's your report coming?"
"Slowly. I hate writing reports."
"Doesn't everyone?"
"I think Hermione actually enjoys it." A smile began to creep back onto Potter's face.
Draco laughed. "Yes, I think she does. Well, if there's nothing else, I've got to get this done before I can get out of here."
"Right," Potter said, standing. "I'll just… see you around, I suppose."
There was something odd about the expression on his face when he turned to leave, but Draco couldn't quite put a finger on it.
…:::…
On Wednesday morning he ran into Potter in the corridor outside the main entrance to the MLE offices.
"Hi, Malfoy," Potter said, as if it were completely normal for an Auror to be hanging about here. Though they worked on the same level in the Ministry, he'd barely seen Potter half a dozen times in the three years prior to this assignment. In fact, he couldn't recall seeing any other Aurors on this end of the complex more than a handful of times.
"What're you doing here?" he asked before he could stop himself.
Potter looked slightly taken aback. "I had a few questions about the details of the days we were out of contact with the office. I thought we could chat about it over tea?"
Draco gave him a mock skeptical look. "If you think I'm going to let you copy off my report, you're wrong, Potter."
Potter looked affronted. "I'm only trying to ensure that our reports are consistent."
"We caught him, didn't we? And we didn't break any --" He lowered his voice. "--many -- laws while doing so."
"So is that a no?"
"I have meetings all day. I'm on my way to one now."
"Would you like to have lunch, then?"
Draco held up a paper bag. "I'm working through lunch, actually. They have this insane idea that I can be in meetings all day long and still get work done. Whatever it is you want to ask me about, could you just put it in a memo and send it over? I'll get to it when I have a chance."
"Then I suppose dinner is out of the question?"
"Tonight? Yes. When I'm finally finished, I plan to go home and collapse."
"I'll let you get to it, then." Potter gave him a sad smile before turning and walking away.
Draco shook his head in disbelief as he watched him go. Were the Aurors not swamped with work like everyone in MLE? He couldn't imagine having time to go wander about in other departments having tea and long lunches with people.
As he settled at his desk to prepare for his first meeting, it occurred to him that Potter might be lonely. But surely he had better options than Draco. Or maybe he was the type who thrived on the excitement of the chase, and once the mission was over he was hopelessly depressed, wanting to relive it at every opportunity.
Draco wrinkled his nose. That didn't sound like much fun at all.
…:::…
On Thursday afternoon, Potter stepped into a lift with Draco. Once the other occupant stepped off on Level 5, Potter moved closer and lowered his voice.
"Survived your day of meetings, I see."
"Barely," Draco retorted. "I detest meetings."
"So do I. Unless Ron is running them. Then they're a riot."
"So I've heard."
"So," Potter began, and hesitated for a moment, almost as if steeling himself for something. "Would you be interested in having dinner tonight?"
Draco turned to give him a long look. "I'm almost finished with my report. If you really want to copy it, you can."
"This has nothing to do with the report." Potter's eyes remained fixed on Draco's though it seemed to be taking a bit of effort to keep them there.
"I'm busy tonight, it turns out. I have a date."
"Oh." Potter turned his gaze to the grate of the lift. The scenery outside was slowing down as they reached Level 2.
"I don't even particularly like the bloke, but I'm hoping it works out well enough, know what I mean?"
"Yeah, well. Good luck with that."
"You should try it yourself, you know. I hear interesting things about the witches up in Misuse of Muggle Artifacts." He grinned at Potter, who was still staring resolutely forward.
The grate opened and Potter stepped out without another word. He turned to the right and headed down the corridor toward the Auror offices. Draco stared after him, uncertain what had just happened.
…:::…
"How was your date?"
"Horrid." Draco sighed and tapped his wand against the tea kettle in the MLE break room. He should have been surprised to see Potter there, but somehow he wasn't. Potter had apparently been in a meeting with Granger, and had looked around for Draco before leaving.
"Really?" There was a hint of a smirk on Potter's face. It suited him rather well. "What happened?"
Draco really didn't want to talk about it, but he wanted to see Potter smirk some more. "He was a pompous arse, for one thing. Far too interested in himself. He was good looking enough, I suppose. And trust me, after a few months I was ready for something more than--" He made a subtle gesture with his right hand and raised an eyebrow at Potter -- this wasn't exactly the place to talk openly about his sex life, or lack thereof. "But he was such an immense git that I couldn't even bring myself to snog him."
"I had no idea your standards were so high."
"Fuck you, Potter. They're extremely high. I'm not as easy as people seem to think I am."
"So then you're free tonight?"
Draco sighed. "Unfortunately, yes."
"Would you… like to get a pint after work, then? Maybe dinner?"
"Sure, why not?" The tea kettle squealed and Draco paused to pour hot water into his waiting cup. "I've a meeting at Gringott's this afternoon, though, so I'll have to meet you there."
Potter's smile was as wide as Draco had ever seen it. "Fantastic. Do you know The Goblin's Elbow down at the end of Diagon Alley? Meet me there at 7:00."
Draco could have sworn Potter had an extra swing in his step as he walked away. Whatever he wanted to talk to Draco about, it must be terribly important.
Draco had to force himself to look away from Potter's arse as it disappeared around the corner. Why was he pursuing a friendship with an attractive straight man anyway? It was only going to end badly. He dropped a lump of sugar into his tea and sighed.
…:::…
It was raining when Draco left Gringott's, and it was already after 7:00. The Head Goblin for Bank Security had been difficult from the beginning of the investigation, and even now he seemed oddly unenthusiastic about the culprit having been captured. The meeting was a mere formality, but it still felt like a colossal waste of time.
And Draco fucking hated goblins.
He dashed under the eaves of a nearby building to cast a quick impervious on his robes and made his way down the street to the pub where he was meeting Potter. The thought of a pint and a hearty meal with decent conversation was rather pleasant. He'd grown to appreciate Potter's company in the last month. Among other things, but he wasn't going to think about that.
Everyone on the street was moving quickly now, hurrying to get out of the cold. They all seemed to be traveling the opposite direction to him as well, which kept his progress frustratingly slow. He finally spotted the pub at the end of the street, its worn wooden sign swinging as it was battered by the rain. He was late, but Potter didn't seem the type who'd mind.
He spotted Potter in a booth in a far corner, already nursing a pint. The pub was lively, and Draco wondered how long Potter had been sitting there in order to have snagged such a prime spot.
"Sorry," he said as he stripped off his robe and hung it on an outstretched bronze hand that jutted from the top of the booth. The hand closed tightly around the collar of his robe. "Damn goblins had a thousand questions about minutiae and then didn't seem interested in the answers."
Potter smiled, clearly relieved to see him. "Better you than me, then."
Draco ran his fingers through his wet hair in an attempt to look a bit more presentable. Potter looked unusually well-groomed for a change. He was wearing a crisp black shirt and must have used some sort of wild animal taming spell on his hair. He even looked like he'd shaved. Damn.
"I had no idea you cleaned up so well, Potter," Draco said as he slid into the booth. "Have a hot date tonight or something?"
Potter's eyes widened and he stared blankly at Draco for a moment. He then picked up his pint glass, downed the rest of his beer in one go, and let it fall back to the table with a heavy thunk.
"Well, I thought I did, but it didn't work out."
"Ah. Sorry. I guess neither of us is getting laid this weekend."
Potter looked back up at him. "Yeah. I'm getting another pint. Want one?"
"Absolutely. And some food, while you're at it?"
Potter returned to the booth a bit later with two pints and a ploughman's platter, and discussion turned back to Draco's torturous meeting at Gringott's. Conversation was so easy with Potter -- or at least it was now, after all those weeks of having no one to talk to but each other. He didn't have to mince words or be polite, and he didn't spend even a moment worrying about how Potter might use anything he said against him next week. It was like no other friendship he had.
And they were friends, as odd as it was to admit it. He liked Potter.
Potter, with his slight frame and ridiculous hair, with that faded scar that everyone still stared at when they talked to him. Potter, with his wiry glasses and bright green eyes and pale skin, who really was suited for a black shirt with the top two buttons undone just so.
"Malfoy?" Potter was staring at him with narrowed eyes.
Draco looked away and forced down the last third of his ale before meeting his eyes again. "It's been a crazy week and I'm knackered. I think I'm done for the night."
"Yeah. Same here."
"Sorry about your date," Draco said, though he found he wasn't actually sorry at all. Potter stood and turned to tug his own robe out of a bronze grip, and Draco's eyes went right for Potter's arse. In well-fitting trousers, too. Holy hell.
Potter made a sound like a strangled laugh. "Yeah, well. I'm an idiot, apparently."
"As am I. I still can't believe the arsehole I went out with the other night."
"So why'd you go out with him?" Potter pulled his robe on while Draco struggled to get the little bronze fist to release his. Even the fucking bronze goblin hands were giving him shit tonight.
"Because I'm desperate and lonely."
Potter smirked in that way that made Draco's insides twist pleasantly. "If you just want to get laid, I'm sure you could find someone to oblige you."
Draco's robe finally slipped out of the hand's grip and he pulled it on as gracefully as he could manage. "The thing is, that's not what I want -- well, not all I want, obviously. I did that for years, and it got old."
"So, what? You're looking for a boyfriend?"
"Maybe. Mostly I want someone who wants me, you know? Someone who gets me, who wants to hang out with me on the weekends." He smiled and lowered his voice. "And who's not afraid to push me up against a wall and just do me, know what I mean?"
Potter's cheeks tinged and he looked away. "Yeah."
"No luck yet, though." He let his eyes linger on Potter's face for as long as he dared. "Are you apparating out of the Leaky Cauldron?"
Potter nodded. "I'll walk with you, if you don't mind. I've got nowhere else to be."
They walked in companiable silence down the street. The rain had ceased, but it was still cold, and there weren't many people about. It had been dark for hours and felt oddly like the middle of the night, though it was no later than 9:00.
They turned left up fashionable Wemple Alley, where Draco had a flat. It would have been logical for Potter to say goodbye there and make his way down to the Leaky Cauldron, but he'd just kept walking with Draco, and neither of them had said a word. Draco's head was spinning a bit from several pints of strong ale and the thought of inviting Potter in for a drink. Potter wasn't interested in anything more than friendship, and he wasn't sure it was a good idea to put this thing they had going at risk by making a pass at him. And he probably would end up making a pass at Potter, because he was an idiot like that.
Then they were at the door of his building and he had to say something. He should just say good night and that would be that. Nice, safe.
But what came out of his mouth was, "I've got some good whiskey and since you've got nowhere to be, would you--"
"Yes," Potter said. "I'd like that."
Well, then.
Draco's stomach did a little flip as they made their way up the stairs to the door of his flat. He tapped his wand against the knob and it turned, the door opening into darkness. He cast a quick spell towards a lamp on the far side of the room, enough to give the place a warm glow.
Potter closed the door behind him and stood there awkwardly, as if he weren't completely sure he was welcome. Draco stripped off his robe and hung it on a hook by the door before heading to the kitchen. He returned a moment later with whiskey and two glasses and set the lot on the sofa table. Potter hadn't moved from the spot.
"I'm a shit host, aren't I? Let me take your robe, at least." Draco crossed to him as he pulled it off, and hung it on a hook next to his own. "Sorry about the mess. It's--"
Fingers closed around his wrist and he froze without saying another word. He turned to look at Potter. There was a wild gleam in his eyes, something that wasn't unfamiliar at all. He realized with a jolt he'd been seeing it for quite a while. He swallowed and waited, afraid of ruining the moment.
Potter stared at him a moment longer, and then moved, pushing Draco up against the door and crushing their mouths together. Draco whimpered at the intensity of it, melted against the wall. His hands tugged that black shirt out of the trousers it was so carefully tucked into and slid across Potter's back, pulling him even closer. Merlin, all that hot skin under his fingers, hard muscles moving under his touch, and Potter kissing him like he'd wanted to do this for a long time. Like he'd been thinking about it, planning it.
Oh, fuck.
Granger had tried to tell him, and he hadn't listened. He'd been so sure Potter was straight. He'd nearly fucked it all up.
"I am such an idiot," Draco said against Potter's lips. "I am so fucking sorry--"
"Shut up," Potter replied, and then their tongues were far too occupied to form words.
They should have done this a lot earlier, Draco thought as Potter's lips worked their way down his neck. And they probably would have if Draco hadn't been such a complete arse. Those lips were sucking on a sensitive spot at the base of his neck now, and Potter's hands were fumbling with the fastening of his trousers, and yes, they were actually going to do this, right here against the door.
Just the way Draco had said he'd wanted it.
He grinned when Potter slid to his knees, because that was seriously something he hadn't expected, and Potter's hot mouth on his cock was perhaps the most amazing thing he'd felt in years. It wasn't the best blow job ever, but it hardly mattered. It was Harry Potter on his knees sucking Draco's cock, having apparently fantasized about it for at least a week, maybe longer. The idea that anyone might possibly want him that badly was just so hot.
He threaded his fingers in that dark hair and watched his cock head slide in and out of Potter's lips. He felt suction and tongue and heat, and it was gorgeous. He was getting close faster than he wanted to, but the night was young. He doubted this was going to be a one-time thing.
He pushed Potter's head back in warning and Potter stood and kissed him, finishing him with a hand while fellating Draco's tongue. The combination of sensations quickly pushed him over the edge. Potter wrapped an arm around him and kept him on his feet as his knees buckled, and kissed him all the way through it.
Potter stepped back at last, his hand covered in semen, and he grinned. "You really had no idea?"
"That we were on a date or that you swing both ways?" Draco had to stop to catch his breath, and Potter laughed.
"That we were on a date. I wanted to hex you back in that pub."
"Like I said, I'm an idiot. Even so, best date ever." He leaned in for another kiss, and Potter moaned, pressing his erection against Draco's thigh. "Why don't we take this over to the sofa and I'll return the favor?"
"Fantastic idea. Let me just--" He fumbled in his robe for a moment before finding his wand and casting a quick banishing spell on his hand. His lips never left Draco's.
"You're about to get a lot dirtier, you know," Draco whispered as he backed him toward the sofa.
"I'm counting on it."
…:::…
"We need to chat about this report," Granger said by way of greeting. He looked up from his desk to see her standing in his open doorway. "You know, the one you promised to have to me by Friday?"
"Ah, right," Draco replied. Ten minutes into Monday morning and he'd already fucked up. "Well, the thing is--"
"That we spent the entire weekend working on it." Harry Potter joined Granger in the doorway, and she jumped in surprise. "Seriously, we barely surfaced for food or drink. We were at it constantly." He winked at Draco, who valiantly fought the urge to blush.
Granger looked back and forth between the two of them, a suspicious expression on her face. "And?"
Potter shrugged. "And it's almost finished. You'll get a copy at the same time my supervisor gets his, I promise."
"An inter-departmental report? I suppose it's fitting."
"We seem to make a good team," Draco said.
"That we do," Potter replied. They grinned at each other.
Granger's eyebrows rose in apparent realization, but she said nothing. She turned to leave, shooting Potter a look that very clearly said we need to talk before walking away.
"We do make a good team," Potter said, leaning against the door frame.
"Up for a little teamwork tonight?"
Potter closed the office door and crossed to Draco's desk. He leaned over it and wrapped his fingers around Draco's necktie, pulling him into a kiss. "I was thinking we might need to hold a quick meeting of our interdepartmental task force right now."
"I like the way you think," Draco whispered, fumbling for his wand. Privacy spells were definitely in order.
Maybe, Draco thought a few minutes later as Potter's mouth was working its way steadily southward, he didn't hate meetings after all.
~fin~
Story Notes:
Notes: Written for ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=3)
shanna_souzou in thanks for her donation to my friend's Kickstarter campaign. She requested "Harry trying to hit-on/seduce Draco. But of course he'd be classic awkward, sweet Harry and Draco would be hilariously unaware." I hope this comes close to what you wanted! I should also note that this is an alternate ending to a fic I haven't written yet. ;-)
shanna_souzou in thanks for her donation to my friend's Kickstarter campaign. She requested "Harry trying to hit-on/seduce Draco. But of course he'd be classic awkward, sweet Harry and Draco would be hilariously unaware." I hope this comes close to what you wanted! I should also note that this is an alternate ending to a fic I haven't written yet. ;-)