HP-Fic: Circles and Lines - Part 2
Title: Circles and Lines - Part 2
Author: ninnive
Fandom: 'Harry Potter' by J. K. Rowling
Pairing: H/D (not yet), mentions of Ron/Gabrielle
Rating: PG
Warnings: mentions of character deaths
Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling and this work of fanfiction is written for entertainment purposes only.
A/N: Written for tarie's request at serpentinelion's 'Secrets and Wishes Fest': 'The One Where Gay!Draco and Straight!Harry are Forty, Greying, and Haven't Seen One Another Since the War, But They Cross Paths Just as New Dark Lord Stan Shunpike (Or Was That Gilderoy Lockhart?) and His Followers Start a New War and Stuff Happens.'
chapter 1
*
Harry reappeared with a sharp 'pop' in what had been once the kitchen of the Potter house. Godric's Hollow had been inhabited solely by Muggles since the night his parents had been killed, so it wouldn't do to just Apparate into the graveyard of the village, even if it was dark by now - Harry had never managed a silent Apparition in his life and he disliked Obliviating people, having witnessed one too many careless Memory Spell gone wrong during his time as an Auror.
Mulling over Ron's vague explanations, Harry climbed out of the ruins of the house and walked the short way to the little graveyard. If his best friend had a bad feeling about Lucius Malfoy, then Harry thought the man should better be investigated. And if Malfoy once again walked in his old circles, then there wouldn't even be a need to bother Ron's superiors about a search warrant - most of the Pureblood families were Harry's clients and it would be easy to keep track of any suspicious occurrences in their houses…
The sight of the entrance door to the graveyard abruptly chased any thoughts of blooming conspiracies from Harry's mind and left him with the long-familiar mixture of grief and guilt. Steeling himself, he pushed open the door, headed straight for Remus' grave, intent on getting this over with as fast as possible - and stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed the figure kneeling in front of the the Werewolf's tombstone, illuminated by the sharp light of a wand. This couldn't possibly be…
"Malfoy?!" Must have summoned the bastard by thinking about him, why else would he be here? was the first thought that shot through Harry's mind, quickly followed by Ooh… when the blond head turned around and revealed an unexpected face.
"Potter."
"Malfoy," Harry repeated, his tone far less hostile than before.
"Yes, I think we've established that."
"No, I mean, it's you. I thought… you look an awful lot like your father. Uhmm, from behind." Harry grimaced when his brain caught up with what he was saying; the one sure topic to get a rise out of Draco Malfoy had always been his family and although they hadn't seen each other for nearly two decades, he couldn't imagine that Lucius Malfoy could be a safe subject between them now.
But the expected fit of temper didn't come. Instead, Malfoy smiled with so much bitterness that Harry barely managed not to look away. "Potter, when have you last seen my father?"
"21 years ago, at the day of his trial," Harry whispered. "Listen, I didn't mean to…"
"Yeah, me neither," Malfoy interrupted him and turned back towards the grave. Harry didn't ask what he was doing here - he knew what had happened that night, could feel the memories of blood and cries and more blood crawl just outside of his awareness and felt that Malfoy's tense posture and balled-up fists were answer enough.
"Aren't you goint to tell me that I should stop beating myself up about it? That it wasn't my fault?"
"No, Malfoy," Harry replied carefully. "I don't believe me saying that would help overly much. It never does when I'm the one staring at Bill Weasley's grave like that."
Malfoy obviously hadn't expected that answer - his head whipped around and for the first time in this conversation he really looked at Harry, searching him all over with his gaze. Harry didn't know what the other man was looking for, but he could tell he'd found it when Malfoy's shoulders visibly relaxed and his defensive expression morphed into an almost-smile. "I nearly forgot," he said. "You were there, too. Right behind me when they attacked?"
"Yeah." Harry had to force the word out, pushing it through the wall of ugly memories that had built itself around him. The next ones came much easier: "I think that was the only time we ever fought together. On the same side, I mean."
"I know what you meant. And Potter?"
"Yes?"
"Help me up, I'm not longer talking to you while kneeling at your feet!"
Unprepared for this sudden change of mood, Harry just reached out and caught Malfoy's hand, pulling him up. Before he could let go, Malfoy grinned at him mischieveously, tightened the grip on his fingers and subjected him to an exaggerated handshake. "Draco Malfoy, pleased to meet you."
"Malfoy, have you finally lost your mind!?" Harry cried, trying to pull away. That only earned him a smirk and a raised eyebrow. "Oh fine. Fine! I'm Harry Potter. And feeling terribly childish right now."
"I promise not to tell anyone."
"I'd rather you'd stop crushing my hand."
Malfoy loosened his grip but didn't let go. "That better?" And obviously Harry's totally confused expression translated to 'no', because Malfoy finally released him.
"Malfoy…"
"Draco."
"What?"
"Draco," Malfoy repeated in a firm voice. "I've decided to start over with you."
Harry felt like he'd been hit with a Confundus Charm. What makes you think I'd go along with that? was on the tip of his tongue, but somewhere in his eleven years as an Auror he had learned when to keep his mouth shut and he settled for a "Why?".
"Why not? It has been more than 20 years since we've last seen each other. We could as well be two totally different persons."
Remembering his words about Hermione, Harry conceded without further argument. "Yeah, I guess I can't argue with that."
"But I bet you would like to."
"This conversation just keeps on getting weirder - "
"Yes, imagine how the next one will go," Malfoy - Draco - said teasingly. "And before you ask 'The next one?' like some kind of overgrown parrot, yes there will be a next one. I've somewhere heard the ridiculous rumour that you're running a house-elf rental service these days and you're going to tell me all about it. I'll owl you when I've got time." Turning around, he once more faced Remus' tombstone. "Did you know that he'd saved my mother from an attack by her own sister just three days before I killed him?"
"No, I didn't," Harry said slowly. "Umm, Draco…"
"No, it's okay. Just, spare him your 'I feel so guilty'-speech, would you? I think he heard enough of that from me today." And with a barely audible sound Draco Malfoy Apparated away, taking with him his wand that had illuminated the scene. Harry was left in the dark.
chapter 3
Author: ninnive
Fandom: 'Harry Potter' by J. K. Rowling
Pairing: H/D (not yet), mentions of Ron/Gabrielle
Rating: PG
Warnings: mentions of character deaths
Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling and this work of fanfiction is written for entertainment purposes only.
A/N: Written for tarie's request at serpentinelion's 'Secrets and Wishes Fest': 'The One Where Gay!Draco and Straight!Harry are Forty, Greying, and Haven't Seen One Another Since the War, But They Cross Paths Just as New Dark Lord Stan Shunpike (Or Was That Gilderoy Lockhart?) and His Followers Start a New War and Stuff Happens.'
chapter 1
*
Harry reappeared with a sharp 'pop' in what had been once the kitchen of the Potter house. Godric's Hollow had been inhabited solely by Muggles since the night his parents had been killed, so it wouldn't do to just Apparate into the graveyard of the village, even if it was dark by now - Harry had never managed a silent Apparition in his life and he disliked Obliviating people, having witnessed one too many careless Memory Spell gone wrong during his time as an Auror.
Mulling over Ron's vague explanations, Harry climbed out of the ruins of the house and walked the short way to the little graveyard. If his best friend had a bad feeling about Lucius Malfoy, then Harry thought the man should better be investigated. And if Malfoy once again walked in his old circles, then there wouldn't even be a need to bother Ron's superiors about a search warrant - most of the Pureblood families were Harry's clients and it would be easy to keep track of any suspicious occurrences in their houses…
The sight of the entrance door to the graveyard abruptly chased any thoughts of blooming conspiracies from Harry's mind and left him with the long-familiar mixture of grief and guilt. Steeling himself, he pushed open the door, headed straight for Remus' grave, intent on getting this over with as fast as possible - and stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed the figure kneeling in front of the the Werewolf's tombstone, illuminated by the sharp light of a wand. This couldn't possibly be…
"Malfoy?!" Must have summoned the bastard by thinking about him, why else would he be here? was the first thought that shot through Harry's mind, quickly followed by Ooh… when the blond head turned around and revealed an unexpected face.
"Potter."
"Malfoy," Harry repeated, his tone far less hostile than before.
"Yes, I think we've established that."
"No, I mean, it's you. I thought… you look an awful lot like your father. Uhmm, from behind." Harry grimaced when his brain caught up with what he was saying; the one sure topic to get a rise out of Draco Malfoy had always been his family and although they hadn't seen each other for nearly two decades, he couldn't imagine that Lucius Malfoy could be a safe subject between them now.
But the expected fit of temper didn't come. Instead, Malfoy smiled with so much bitterness that Harry barely managed not to look away. "Potter, when have you last seen my father?"
"21 years ago, at the day of his trial," Harry whispered. "Listen, I didn't mean to…"
"Yeah, me neither," Malfoy interrupted him and turned back towards the grave. Harry didn't ask what he was doing here - he knew what had happened that night, could feel the memories of blood and cries and more blood crawl just outside of his awareness and felt that Malfoy's tense posture and balled-up fists were answer enough.
"Aren't you goint to tell me that I should stop beating myself up about it? That it wasn't my fault?"
"No, Malfoy," Harry replied carefully. "I don't believe me saying that would help overly much. It never does when I'm the one staring at Bill Weasley's grave like that."
Malfoy obviously hadn't expected that answer - his head whipped around and for the first time in this conversation he really looked at Harry, searching him all over with his gaze. Harry didn't know what the other man was looking for, but he could tell he'd found it when Malfoy's shoulders visibly relaxed and his defensive expression morphed into an almost-smile. "I nearly forgot," he said. "You were there, too. Right behind me when they attacked?"
"Yeah." Harry had to force the word out, pushing it through the wall of ugly memories that had built itself around him. The next ones came much easier: "I think that was the only time we ever fought together. On the same side, I mean."
"I know what you meant. And Potter?"
"Yes?"
"Help me up, I'm not longer talking to you while kneeling at your feet!"
Unprepared for this sudden change of mood, Harry just reached out and caught Malfoy's hand, pulling him up. Before he could let go, Malfoy grinned at him mischieveously, tightened the grip on his fingers and subjected him to an exaggerated handshake. "Draco Malfoy, pleased to meet you."
"Malfoy, have you finally lost your mind!?" Harry cried, trying to pull away. That only earned him a smirk and a raised eyebrow. "Oh fine. Fine! I'm Harry Potter. And feeling terribly childish right now."
"I promise not to tell anyone."
"I'd rather you'd stop crushing my hand."
Malfoy loosened his grip but didn't let go. "That better?" And obviously Harry's totally confused expression translated to 'no', because Malfoy finally released him.
"Malfoy…"
"Draco."
"What?"
"Draco," Malfoy repeated in a firm voice. "I've decided to start over with you."
Harry felt like he'd been hit with a Confundus Charm. What makes you think I'd go along with that? was on the tip of his tongue, but somewhere in his eleven years as an Auror he had learned when to keep his mouth shut and he settled for a "Why?".
"Why not? It has been more than 20 years since we've last seen each other. We could as well be two totally different persons."
Remembering his words about Hermione, Harry conceded without further argument. "Yeah, I guess I can't argue with that."
"But I bet you would like to."
"This conversation just keeps on getting weirder - "
"Yes, imagine how the next one will go," Malfoy - Draco - said teasingly. "And before you ask 'The next one?' like some kind of overgrown parrot, yes there will be a next one. I've somewhere heard the ridiculous rumour that you're running a house-elf rental service these days and you're going to tell me all about it. I'll owl you when I've got time." Turning around, he once more faced Remus' tombstone. "Did you know that he'd saved my mother from an attack by her own sister just three days before I killed him?"
"No, I didn't," Harry said slowly. "Umm, Draco…"
"No, it's okay. Just, spare him your 'I feel so guilty'-speech, would you? I think he heard enough of that from me today." And with a barely audible sound Draco Malfoy Apparated away, taking with him his wand that had illuminated the scene. Harry was left in the dark.
chapter 3