InsaneJournal

Slytherin Love (7/7)


~*~

Four months later Draco is remembering that night. When everything is over and he and Severus are sitting under heavy Auror guard in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. And he thinks of that night because there is the same, haunted look in Severus’s eyes as he sits, slumped, still and silent, next to Draco at the Slytherin table.

Severus’s icy fingers are clenched around Draco’s in a vice-like grip.

A little further down the table sit Draco’s parents. It is heartbreaking to see Lucius, who has lost contact with reality entirely and thinks he is a schoolboy. In all manners of a teenaged boy, he tries to flirt with the girl he keeps calling Narcissa Black. Draco looks away from them. He can’t bear the expression on his mother’s face.

Around them, there is sound and movement. People in all kinds of clothes, from dress-robes to pyjamas, are milling about, talking and laughing and crying. Celebrating. The Dark Lord is dead, for good this time. The Chosen One fulfilled his Destiny. Death Eaters are rounded up and held under the watchful eyes of the Aurors until the new Minister, Kingsley Shacklebolt, decides what to do with them.

There aren’t many left. Some are dead, others have fled. Some had surrendered even before the Dark Lord fell. Technically, Draco is a prisoner of war, as is Severus, although neither has been fighting. Severus insisted on getting the students out of school when the Dark Lord attacked, and Draco had opted to help him, keeping out of the way and hoping they would make it through alive. And Harry, too.

Draco wonders where Harry is. He can hear people talking about him, about how he defeated the Dark Lord and what a courageous man and strong wizard he is. But he can’t see him and wonders, worriedly, if Harry has been hurt. His friends are all here; Draco can see a small crowd of red heads at the other side of the Hall, but no matter how much he cranes his neck, he can’t spot Harry.

He hasn’t seen Harry for the last four months, since that night, and doesn’t know what he has been doing in that time. He knows that Severus has met with Harry, but he hasn’t asked about those meetings except to hear Harry was well. He hasn’t asked if they had sex without Draco, he didn’t want to think of it, and Severus has never told him.

It hurt Draco that Severus was still leaving him out on something that has become so important to both of them. But he learned to accept the way things are, at least for now. Draco thought that he could live with his lover fucking Harry – is he still his other lover? – as long as Severus came back to Draco. He always did, and Draco didn’t want to doubt Severus again.

Perhaps Severus noticed how Draco felt, or perhaps it was Harry’s bright idea of keeping contact of some kind with Draco, but once Severus brought a small missive from Harry. Draco was grateful for the letter, something only for him from Harry, and murderously angry that his weakness had been noticed. He wrote an angry letter back, berating Harry for his stupidity of committing anything to paper – at least, not without a proper Concealment Charm!

Afterwards, he and Harry exchanged words via Severus. Mostly Harry sent questions and reassurances he was all right. Draco gave whatever little information he could gather to Severus in the hope that Harry might be able to use it. And now they are here, the Dark Lord is dead, and there is no trace of Harry, Severus looks half-dead, and they are surrounded by Aurors. Strangely, all that Draco wants is to see Harry to know he’s all right.

Suddenly, there is a commotion at the entrance to the Hall. Heads turn and Draco sits up straight in the hope of seeing what is going on. And then the crowd parts as Harry storms across the Hall towards the Slytherin table. People reach out, try to touch him. They call out his name, questions, praises, but Harry ignores them all. The Aurors guarding the Death Eaters straighten.

Draco’s heart leaps and starts beating faster as relief and nervousness course through him. The relief instantly changes to worry when he gets a good look at Harry. Harry’s clothes are torn, dirty and smeared with blood. He is pale under the layer of grime on his face. There is a drying smudge of blood on his forehead, over his scar. His eyes are fevered green and fixed on Severus.

The desperate gasp makes Draco turn to look at Severus. The man is staring at Harry as though he is seeing a ghost. Pain and grief are still etched into his features, but there is a small, fearful flicker of hope in his eyes as Harry approaches. Slowly, shakily, Severus raises and his hands rise in a pleading gesture that makes Draco’s heart ache.

‘Harry.’ It is only a faint whisper, desperate and beseeching.

One of the Aurors steps forward as Harry approaches. ‘Mr Potter,’ he begins, but Harry marches right past him and throws himself with such force at Severus that the man staggers back. Then Harry’s hands are in Severus’s hair and he is tugging him down, and those standing nearest gasp and cry out when Harry kisses Severus. Harry clutches at Severus’s shoulders so hard his knuckles turn white, and Severus enfolds him in his arms, clinging to him as their lips meet in a devouring kiss.

Draco’s heart is hammering in his chest and he yearns to reach out, touch Harry, wrap his arms around him and kiss him and then yell at him for worrying Draco, but Severus needs him more right now. And through his relief and stirring arousal at the sight comes the niggling doubt whether Severus feels like that for Draco as well. Whether Harry feels anything at all like this powerful emotion for Draco. Or was it all about Severus for Harry?

With a sound like sob, Severus lifts his head enough to look down at Harry’s face. His long hair falls forward so that his own features are hidden. His hands come up and cup Harry’s face.

‘You’re alive.’ Severus’s voice is rough, incredulous. ‘Alive! How?’

Harry’s hand shakes slightly as he points at his scar. ‘Boy Who Lived, remember?’

Severus gasps and sinks ungracefully onto the bench behind him. Harry follows him, straddling his lap. He touches his forehead to Severus’s.

‘I’m sorry you had to believe it,’ he whispers. ‘I’m so sorry he thought he couldn’t tell you.’

Severus jolts. ‘He knew? He knew you would not … would not die?’ There is so much pain in his voice Draco wants to cry.

‘He didn’t know exactly. Just … guessed, kind of. Which, considering who we’re talking of, means he knew, yes.’ Harry’s voice is trembling.

‘How … how …?’

‘I was one of them,’ Harry says so quietly Draco almost doesn’t hear him. ‘And … and the ritual he did for resurrection ... Some magic with my blood and my mum’s sacrifice and … But I’ll tell you later.’

Severus shivers and wraps his arms tightly around Harry, pressing Harry’s face into his shoulder. ‘I know I shouldn’t be the one saying this, but if he weren’t already dead …’

Draco can’t hear Harry’s answer to that. But he thinks he sees the corners of Severus’s lips lift minutely.

And then Harry lifts his head and turns to Draco with a smile and Draco’s doubts vanish. Harry does feel something for him, he is still Draco’s other lover. He extends a hand and says, ‘Draco,’ and there is something in his tone that makes Draco’s eyes sting.

Rapidly blinking away what cannot have been tears, he takes Harry’s hand. ‘Took you long enough, Potter,’ he says gruffly. Harry grins happily. It looks awful with all the dirt and blood and who-knows-what-else caked on his face. Draco wants to kiss him.

The moment is broken by the Auror who had addressed Harry earlier. ‘Ah, Mr Potter,’ he says, coughing politely. ‘You, um, shouldn’t be doing that. Erm. You shouldn’t.’

Harry looks at the man, and then for the first time seems to realise they are practically surrounded by Aurors.

‘Eh?’ he says. ‘Why’re the Aurors here?’

‘Because we’re evil Death Eaters and need to be guarded,’ Draco snaps angrily. After all, he’s been helping Harry these last months. He shouldn’t be treated like a common criminal!

Harry turns his head and blinks. ‘Eh?’

The Aurors exchange confused glances.

‘But, Mr Potter,’ another one says. He has red hair. Draco shudders. ‘These two carry the Mark. And you yourself named Snape as the murderer of Dumbledore! These two are dangerous criminals! They deserve to rot in Azkaban for the rest of their lives!’

‘The Kiss,’ interjects a third Auror with a nod. ‘If we still had the Dementors, that is,’ he adds.

The three other Aurors nod their heads. Severus’s hands on Harry’s waist tighten as Harry looks silently from one to the other.

‘Harry, mate, what’re you doing? Are you all right?’ Harry’s friends have overcome their shock and have caught up with him. There are a lot of dark, hateful glances directed at Draco.

‘Come away there, Harry,’ coaxes the she-Weasel, while Granger-girl watches the scene with wide, horrified eyes. Draco thinks she doesn’t look surprised at all.

Harry heaves a huge sigh and shakes his head. ‘You guys,’ he says, then looks at the Auror who spoke first. ‘You! Can’t you do your job properly? Really, no surprise Voldemort could take over the Ministry that easily.’

The Aurors bristle but don’t say a thing. Harry Potter just defeated the Dark Lord, after all.

‘Mr Potter,’ the Auror begins again, understandably irritated but trying to hide his anger.

Harry shakes his head again. ‘No! You of all people ought to know better. Aren’t the Aurors said to be the elite of the Department of Law Enforcement? You’d better gather evidence before you jump to conclusions. You ought to be better than that!’

‘Harry,’ Granger says uncertainly, but Harry ignores her.

‘You,’ he points at the baffled, offended Auror, ‘will go up to the Headmaster’s office. You will turn to the cupboard on the left-hand side, the one with the silver stuff on the doors. You will open the door closest to the window, where you will find a locked compartment. The password is “Ariana”. Inside the compartment, you will find documents in Professor Dumbledore’s hand. These will tell you all you need to know about Professor Snape.’

Severus’s head snaps up, and he stares at Harry. ‘He left … evidence?’

Harry gives a short nod, still eyeing the Aurors. ‘Lucky that he did, too. I suppose he was afraid of his plans going off too well.’

‘How do you know about the documents, Mr Potter?’ demands the red-haired Auror, and another asks, ‘Why didn’t you tell us before?’

Harry snorts. ‘Because I didn’t know about them before. I do now because Professor Dumbledore told me.’

‘Told you? The man is dead!’

Draco catches a few people exchanging glances. Harry rolls his eyes at them.

‘As if that would stop him,’ he says simply. ‘Now, go and get the documents. And stop treating Professor Snape like a criminal. He isn’t. You’ll see when you read the documents.’

The Aurors grumble a bit, but two of them leave. Draco is amazed. Not only because he has never seen Harry like this before, but even more so because although the Aurors bristle, they neither take umbrage at Harry ordering them around nor refuse to follow his orders. They must have worked together, Draco thinks. Potter always had ties to the Auror department. And the men seem to have made the boy their leader. But Harry ordering them around is still startling.

‘Your arrogance, Mr Potter, is phenomenal,’ Severus says acerbically, echoing Draco’s thoughts. But there is the shadow of a smile hovering in the corners of his mouth. ‘It can only be tolerated since you use it in our advantage.’

Harry smiles outright back. ‘I learnt from the best,’ he says, a teasing note in his voice as he looks at Draco, who blinks and flushes.

Before he can react in any other way, Harry’s friends interrupt. Ignoring both Severus and Draco except for the occasional dark, suspicious glance, they urge Harry to come away with them. Harry shakes his head at them and addresses the remaining two Aurors.

‘Since we’re talking about it, the same goes for Draco Malfoy. He’s not a criminal either. I daresay Professor Dumbledore wasn’t quite as clear-sighted as to include him in his accounts, so I’d better say it now. Draco helped me, a lot, during the last few months. The last tip that allowed me to trap Voldemort came from him.’

Draco blinks. Tip? Trap? The Dark Lord? But his confusion is nothing in comparison to the warmth he feels growing inside of him at Harry defending him like that. Harry really does care and wants to keep Draco around, doesn’t want to get rid of him to have Severus to himself.

‘Not to forget,’ Harry continues, ‘I was caught at Malfoy Manor, four months ago. You can ask Kingsley, I told him about that. Draco knew it was me, but he didn’t leave me to the Death Eaters, and he didn’t call Voldemort either. He let me get away. After considerably broadening my horizons in more aspects than one.’

Draco’s jaw drops and he flushes again. When has Harry learnt to make allusions while keeping a straight face? But no one except Severus catches on to that. Instead, there are curious whispers and piercing glances. The Auror scratches his head. Clearly, the informal reference to the Minister for Magic has thrown him.

‘Um, are you sure, Mr Potter?’

‘Sure. I’m willing to swear an Oath in front of the Wizengamot.’

That stuns them all, including Draco. But it seals the matter for the Aurors. They nod and step back a little. The crowd seems to realise the show is over and disperses, leaving only Harry’s friends. Weasel looks murderous. Draco smirks at him, making him flush ugly red. She-Weasel stares at Harry with doe-eyed confusion. It is Granger who speaks.

‘Harry?’

‘Yes.’

There is a whole world of meaning in their words, Draco can feel it. It leaves him confused, but she understands and sighs.

‘Ah. O-okay. Well, then, come on, Ron. Ginny. Let’s go back to your parents.’

‘But Harry …!’

‘Later, Ron.’

And with that, they leave, Granger dragging both redheads with her, she-Weasel batting her lashes at Harry’s turned back and the Weasel-King hissing his protests at Granger. Draco watches their retreat with fascination.

‘What was that?’ he asks Harry, amazed. ‘They just went away.’

Harry smiles at him. ‘Hermione.’

‘What? You mean, she knows?’ Draco feels vaguely sick.

Harry shrugs. ‘Couldn’t hide it from her. I was walking funnily when I got back, after that night. She just put one and one together. And got three.’

‘And it’s okay? Just like that?’ Draco can’t quite believe it.

‘She’s had some time to get used to the idea.’ Harry grimaces. ‘Ron’ll be spitting mad at me, though.’

Draco shrugs impatiently – who cares about the Weasel, anyway? – but Severus says softly, ‘It would have been wiser not to come over here, Harry.’

‘What?’

Severus looks up, face serious and controlled now. ‘They will not like your … association with Draco and me. Neither will the wider wizarding world. You could have come and talked to us later. When we were less in public. Instead of making such a spectacle out of us.’

‘Well excuse me if I was happy to see you alive,’ Harry huffs.

Severus’s hands clench suddenly on Harry’s hips. ‘So are we, Harry.’ Draco nods. ‘Nevertheless, it would have been wiser not to throw it into the public’s face like that. Besides, your friends—’

‘Oh, sod the public and my friends,’ Harry says impatiently. ‘My friends will come around. I know them. Ron will take a while, but the others will be okay. And the public … Hey, I just got rid of Voldemort for them. I’m a bloody hero. I deserve a reward.’

Draco splutters with indignation. Severus snorts impressively. ‘Phenomenal arrogance, Mr Potter. Besides, if I recall correctly, the hero’s reward is half of the realm and the hand of the king’s daughter in marriage, not two former Death Eaters one of whom is twice your age.’

Draco frowns, not understanding – what realm? What king? – but Harry laughs. ‘Hey, Draco can easily pass for royalty. He’s snobby enough, after all.’ He grins at Draco, who ponders whether he has just been called a princess and whether he ought to be angry with Harry, or whether he ought to be pleased at being called royalty.

‘Besides,’ Harry continues, softer and with a shy smile at Severus, ‘why would I want half of the realm if I can have half of you?’

‘Harry …’

Severus pulls Harry into a very close embrace and Harry burrows into him, a smile on his face that can only be called tender. They look so wrapped up in each other that for a moment Draco feels left out again, even if Harry is still holding his hand. But then Harry smiles up at him, and Draco moves without thinking.

He throws one leg over the bench so that he’s straddling it, then scoots closer until he sits pressed against the other two men. Harry lets go of his hand and wraps his free arm around Draco’s waist, and a moment later, Draco feels Severus’s hand come to rest on his thigh. He winds one arm around Harry, the other around Severus, and lays his head on Harry’s shoulder.

They have made it through the war. They are alive, all three of them. And Harry has said “half of you”, which must mean he knows that Draco and Severus are lovers, and that he is willing to share and be part of that. That he is willing to continue what they had that night. And Draco is more than willing himself to share Severus with Harry – and Harry with Severus, and to find out what they can be together.

They will meet trouble. As Severus said, the wizarding world at large will not like Harry with not only one, but two men, and former Death Eaters to boot. But Draco is optimistic. They have survived the Dark Lord. He still has Severus, and now he has Harry, too. He has a future.

Besides, scandalous association or not, Harry is still the man who vanquished the Dark Lord. Draco feels excited at just imagining what Harry can do for him, for both him and Severus, in this post-war world! Recognition and power are worthy goals, after all.

Draco grins into Harry’s hair. All is well.


End