"I think it went well," Draco said.

"Do you?" Harry said flatly. His arse had gone numb sitting on the metal chair in the small security office.

"We obscured what really happened with a rather stupendous lie. That's our job, and we did it spectacularly."

"Then got dragged into a security office because you wouldn't let me hit the bloke with a confundus and get out of here," Harry said irritably.

"I've never been arrested before," Draco said.

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Muggle arrested," Draco said and crossed his arms over his chest, "You're not meant to mention the other."

"I didn't," Harry said.

Draco slunk down in the chair, "You insinuated."

"Yeah, well, it happened. Me not bringing it up isn't going to change that," Harry said.

Draco pulled his sunglasses out of his pocket, even though he could probably see next to nothing with them on.

"Draco."

He didn't answer.

"Draco," Harry plucked the sunglasses off his nose.

Draco snatched them back, glaring balefully at him, "Those are not yours."

"Don't hide behind them, then," Harry said.

"I- I wasn't hiding," Draco said. He shoved the glasses back in his pocket and turned away.

Harry sighed.

This was apparently as good as an insult because Draco spun right back around, "I'm not pretending it didn't happen. It was one of the most traumatic moments in my life, amongst a cluster-fuck of them. I don't like being reminded of it." His frown deepened into something almost like his old sneers, and Harry felt himself tense up at the expression, "I suppose you just love being reminded of everything that happened, Goldenboy."

"No," Harry said, firmly, trying to stop this fight before it got started, "No. The war was traumatic as hell. We were fucking kids. I get it."

Draco relaxed a bit, letting his arms unfold, "Well, I wasn't fucking kids. That's disgusting, Auror Potter."

Harry shot him a look, and once he was certain Draco was joking, he gave him a half-hearted shove, "You know what I mean, arsehole."

"Haven't the faintest," Draco said blandly.

The door clicked open, and the security guard came back in, sighing and trying to pull his pants up, only to ruin all his hard work by sitting in the chair on the behind the cheap plywood desk.

"Well, I talk Mr Fresa, and he's decided not to press charges," the security guard said, he gave them a grin what was probably supposed to come off as chummy. "Though if you pull something like this again, you'll be banned from ever coming back on the premise."

Harry nodded, keeping his expression neutral.

Draco leaned forward with a winning smile, "I appreciate it. We're new at this."

The security guard nodded, "Thought as much. You seem alright. Just don't cause trouble in businesses without getting permission first."

Draco nodded solemnly.

"Try a park next time, somewhere public. And you're gonna need release forms to show peoples faces on tv, don't know where you get those though, probably need a solicitor for that sort of thing," the guard said.

"Of course, of course," Draco said, his voice sweet as honey, "Thank you for the advice."

The guard stood up, and Draco shook his hand with that fake saccharine smile, Harry settled for a nod and held the door open for the two of them to leave.

"See that wasn't so bad," Draco said as they made their way down a narrow cinder-block hallway to the approaching noise of the shopping centre.

"A security guard isn't a real cop," Harry said, "You wouldn't enjoy being arrested by a real police officer. Or maybe you would, you're white and rich after all."

"You're rich as well, Auror Potter, I've read the papers," Draco said.

"It's not about the actual money, it's the poshness, it's the- the 'I want to talk to your manager'-ness. You've got that in spades."

Draco frowned at him, "What in the world are you on about?"

"That's part of it, isn't it. Your type don't even know what prats you are."

Draco's frown deepened.

"Sorry, sorry. It's just a muggle thing, I guess," Harry said.

"If it's a muggle thing then I want to understand it," Draco said petulantly, "I don't like not knowing how things work. I absolutely loath looking stupid."

"That's- yeah, of course you do," Harry said, and it explained a lot about Draco really. "So it's like... well, how do I explain this..."

"Took you long enough," Shunter said as they stepped out of the hallway. "Was there a problem with the security guard?"

"Other than Draco not letting me confund him? No," Harry said flatly.

"We're the Liar's Department, we don't use magic if it's not necessary," Draco said with a sniff.

Harry rolled his eyes at that load of utter shite.

"If it's sorted, we have reports to get done," Shunter said.

"We'll get your little slip of paper to you, you don't have to worry about that," Draco said.

"Nope," Harry said flatly.

"Nope?" Draco repeated.

"Definite nope," Shunter said, "with an incident of that scale a comprehensive report has to be written between all departments and all actions will be reviewed by the Department Heads."

"I.e. it's a pain the arse," Harry said under his breath.

"I'll see the two of you back at the Auror's department, conference room one in a half an hour," Shunter said, "If you're late, you won't get to choose lunch."

Harry nodded and gave a half-hearted wave as Shunter left.

Draco dipped his chin beside Harry's shoulder, "Is that threat?"

"Shunter always orders sandwiches from the cafeteria whenever we have meetings," Harry said.

"So?"

"So, if you're late she orders you the chicken salad sandwich," Harry said, his tone filled with past regrets, "It tastes like wet cardboard and the mayo tastes off, even though the other sandwiches with the same fucking mayo and taste just fine. And there are big chunks of celery in it, just so when you think it can't get any worse you bite into nature's worst vegetable."

Draco laughed, "Truly a fate worse than death."

Harry nodded and looked around, "Well, sod that. We're in a food court, let's get a pizza," Harry said.

"In a shopping centre?" Draco asked.

"Still better than cafeteria sandwiches," Harry said.

"You have a point," Draco said, "There?" Draco pointed out a place with a few people in line.

Harry agreed and they joined the queue.

"I can't believe we have to do paperwork. We really ought to be celebrating," Draco said with a sigh. "I want to go out dancing and drink until I can't see straight."

"Oh yeah?" Harry said hoarsely, his mind skittering sideways like a startled crab. 'blokes don't fuck me for my brain' Draco's voice echoed in his head. "Do you- do you go out often?" he asked.

"On occasion, it's good fun," Draco said.

"Then- then tonight?" Harry said, 'blokes don't fuck me for my brain' rattling around in his brain like a pebble in a tin.

"Perhaps, but you're not the only one with family obligations, I always have dinner with my parents on Saturday evenings," Draco said.

"I've- I've never been to a club, maybe I could come with you-" 'blokes don't fuck me for-

"Have dinner with my parents? Why Potter, I thought you'd never ask," Malfoy teased.

"And then you're going to go out?" Harry asked.

Malfoy blinked at him, "Auror Potter, are you listening to me at all?"

'blokes don't fuck me for my brain'

Harry doubled down, "I'm listening, dinner with your parents and then we celebrate the job."

"Sir? Are you ready to order?" the girl at the counter asked.

Draco ignored her, "You are completely barmy."

"I am not," Harry said, and because he couldn't say that he was irrationally jealous of the thought that Draco might show that smarmy smile to another bloke, he said, "It'll be interesting."

Draco raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, Houdini! You're holding up the queue!" A guy yelled from behind them.

"That's sad for you," Draco told the bloke.

Harry grabbed Draco by the elbow and hauled him to the counter before he got his nose broken, "We'd like a pizza."

"Yes?" the girl at the counter said. She looked up at the menu board, "We don't have anything else."

"What do you want?" Harry asked Draco, "And don't make it too weird."

Draco looked up at the sign, "Two pizzas, we can share with the juniors. One half cheese and half pepperoni, nice and boring. And the other can be half... what's Hawaiian?"

"It's ham and pineapple," The girl said.

Harry made a face which, of course, Draco saw and grinned, "Perfect. Half Hawaiian and half, I don't know, vegetarian. That ought to cover everything." He pulled an obnoxiously sleek black credit card from his suit and paid for everything.

"What's your name?" The girl at the counter asked, pen poised over the receipt.

"The Marvellous, Magical Mephistopheles," Draco said.

The girl looked at the receipt, pressed the tip of her pen to the paper then looked up with a sigh of resignation, that spoke of dealing with twats like Draco many many times before, "...Can you spell it?"

"Just put Harry," Harry said.

"Harry," The girl nodded quickly, scribbling his name, "You can wait over there," she pointed, then called over their heads, "Next!" to get rid of them.

They stepped out of the way.

"Well, if you insist, I'm sure it will be interesting," Draco said.

"What?" Harry asked, distracted.

"You coming along to dinner," Draco said, "My father might have an aneurysm."

"Is... that a good thing?" Harry asked.

Draco gave him a look that very plainly said, 'you do know my father, don't you?'

"Right," Harry said.

"It's not like I want him to die," Draco said blandly, "but if were to happen..."

Harry snorted.

Draco went on, "I'm just saying, he'd be much easier to like if he were dead."

"Fret not, we have arrived!" Draco said grandly as he pulled open the door to conference room one.

The Juniors stared back at him from the stiff-backed chairs surrounding the matching old-fashioned wood table, the table and chairs contrasting weirdly with the whiteboard hanging on the wall, currently covered in doodled red and blue flowers.

"No applause? I'm wounded," Draco said.

Harry sighed and elbowed past him, "We brought pizza. I let him pick, so some of it's weird."

Kalya perked up at that, "Oh! I don't suppose you have just cheese or something without meat? I can pick it off it not."

Draco took the top pizza box and opened it with a flourish as he set it on the table, "We have cheese and vegetarian."

Harry put down the other box, "And pepperoni and ...ham and pineapple."

"I like ham and pineapple," J said, perking up a bit.

"See, Auror Potter, he likes it," Draco said.

Kalya sighed happily, "This is great. The cafeteria's only real vegetarian options are cheese and mayo sandwich, or all the vegetables they use on the other sandwiches and mayo sandwich."

"Could be worse," J said, "You could be vegan. Then you'd have no options."

Harry tossed a stack of paper napkins in the middle of the table, "Where's Shunter?"

"She went to talk to Robbard's about the mission first," J said.

Kalya grabbed a slice of cheese pizza, "Robards' is busy with 'the big case'," she finger quoted with a mock ominous tone, "So she probably had to wait. Practically everyone is working on it except us."

"I saw all three Ministry Prosecutors come up this morning. It must be big for all of them to be involved," J said.

"Must be big for them to come up here rather than hold the meeting down on level ten," Kalya said. "Then again the meeting rooms down there are always full of Wizengamont members."

"This is strange," Draco said.

Harry thought he was talking about the big case, but when he looked over, he saw Draco holding a slice of the Hawaiian pizza and wrinkling his nose as he chewed.

"And what about it exactly, made you think it was going to be a delight?" Harry asked sarcastically.

"People like it," Draco said, "Junior likes it. They wouldn't put it as an option if it wasn't at least somewhat popular."

"Do you like sweet and savoury things together? Fruit with meat and cheese?" Harry asked.

"Well, no-"

"Well, there you go," Harry said.

"-not always, but I might this time," Draco said, and stubbornly took another bite, just in case.

Harry rolled his eyes and looked around, "Did Shunter leave the paperwork so we can get started, at least?"

Kalya pointed at the end of the table, her mouth full of pizza.

"Are we allowed to fill in the forms ourselves?" J asked.

"I doubt Shunter will mind," Harry said, "And she'll only sign off on it if it's up to her standards."

Harry dropped into a seat next to Draco and grabbed a slice of pepperoni in one hand, filling out the form with the other and trying to keep the grease to himself. He noticed J was the only one not eating and nodded to the boxes, "You can have whatever you want. There's more than we can eat."

J's face turned red. He quickly nodded, a bit of pineapple bouncing across the table as he clumsily grabbed a slice of pizza.

"Now if Ron were here that would be a different story," Harry said absent-mindedly.

He saw Draco roll his eyes.

"What?" Harry asked.

"You are so dense sometimes, Auror Potter," Draco said.

Harry narrowed his eyes, "What?"

"I'll explain later," Draco said, as the door opened and Shunter came in looking worn out.

"They want everyone on hands to work on the big case, so we need to finish this and get to conference room three," Shunter said.

Kalya perked up, "Oh, we get to work on the big case? It'll be our first one!"

"Hope you like fetching coffee and running errands," Harry said.

J and Kalya's expressions fell.

Shunter sighed, "Don't let him discourage you. Pay attention to what's happening, learn the case and the procedure so that when you're promoted, you'll know what to do. Everyone has to go through it."

Harry mockingly mouthed her last line under his breath and then froze as Shunter came up behind him.

"You got a start on the paperwork?" Shunter asked, leaning over his shoulder.

"Yes, sir," Harry said hoarsely, trying not to choke on his own spit.

Shunter scanned over it and nodded, grabbing the pen out of his hand and signed the bottom of the form, "Looks good so far, Potter. Finish that up and take it to reception. Come on, Juniors."

J and Kalya stood, grabbing a last slice of pizza before rushing out the door.

"Must be nice to be so trusted," Draco said bitterly.

Harry was too busy coughing to answer.

Draco raised his eyebrows.

"Swallowed wrong," Harry said faintly and started coughing again.

He saw Draco's expression change, the smarmy grin creep over his face.

"-Don't-" Harry managed between coughs.

"Then don't swallow next time," Draco said suggestively.

Harry tried to laugh and cough at the same time, which came out as a painful hiccup.

Draco grinned.

"-fuck-" Harry laughed and coughed, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes, his stomach aching, "-you-" he slipped out of his chair and collapsed onto the floor.

Draco's smile grew until he fell into hopeless laughter, leaning against the edge of the desk to keep himself up.

Harry rolled onto his back, staring up at Draco, mesmerized by his wide smile, the way his eyes crinkled at the corners and a faint dimple on his left cheek. Harry clutched his chest, letting out another cough, "Fuck, Draco, you've killed me."

"Oh, don't be dramatic," Draco said, "It takes more than that to kill you."

Harry took a few more deep breaths. He kind of, sort of, might have felt like he would be happy if he could make Draco smile like that for the rest of his life.

He thumped his head back on the floor, "Why am I like this?"

"Trauma, I would assume," Draco said.

"I wasn't talking to you," Harry said. He contemplated laying on the floor for the rest of his life but decided to finish the paperwork first.

Harry pulled himself back up onto his chair, "So what was the look for?"

"Which one? I have so many."

"When I was talking to- to Junior, you rolled your eyes like I was an idiot," Harry said.

"Are you really that oblivious?" Draco asked.

"About what?" Harry asked.

Draco sighed, "That Junior has a crush on you."

"Oh," Harry frowned to himself and shrugged, "I didn't notice."

"You didn't notice," Draco said flatly, "You didn't notice how he turns into a stuttering, blushing mess whenever you're around."

"You turn into a blushing mess around me," Harry said, his fountain pen scratching across the paper.

Draco's cheeks took on a faint flush, and he quickly turned his head away.

"People have been speculating about my love life since I was fourteen, maybe even before," Harry said with a shudder. "I learned to tune it out, or I'd have gone barmy ages ago."

"A few marriage proposals before tea, is it?" Draco said sourly.

"Depends."

Draco narrowed his eyes, "Depends on what?"

"If I'm dating someone, there's less, and I always get more around holidays. Valentine's day is the worst, but I get half a dozen on even Guy Fawkes Day," Harry said. He paused to scan through the report to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, adding a few more notes to the bottom and putting his pen away.

Draco was looking pouty, scratching at a scuff in the wooden table.

"I really only pay attention to that sort of thing when it's someone I'm interested in," Harry said and stood up.

Draco looked up abruptly, blinking at Harry like a bewildered kitten.

Harry smiled and held up the form, "Lets go drop this off and get back to the office, yeah?"

"The light's green," Harry said.

The car remained motionless.

"Drac-"

The car behind them honked impatiently.

Draco shifted into gear almost robotically, and the car started moving again.

Harry looked at the shops as they drove by.

They had only dropped by the office long enough to tell Asbestos to stay there until six, in case any more work came in. Which of course, earned them the most 'double stupid' look possible. Harry wondered if he was really beginning to lose his mind because he was growing rather fond of Asbestos acerbic personality.

Harry sighed, "The light's green."

Draco stared ahead.

"Draco. The light, it is green," Harry said, prodding him in the arm.

Draco shot him a glare from behind his sunglasses and jerked the gearshift, the car giving an unhappy grinding noise that made them both wince and soured Draco's expression even more.

"You're the one who did it," Harry said.

Keeping on hand on the steering wheel, Draco pushed his other hand blindly at Harry's face, smacking Harry's cheek and knocked his glasses askew, "Shut up. I'm thinking."

"Thinking so hard you've turned off all other brain functions," Harry said, batting Draco's hand away and righting his glasses.

"There is so much I need to re-evaluate," Draco said distractedly. "So many conversations to replay in my mind."

"I'd rather you re-evaluate your ability to drive," Harry said.

Draco smirked faintly, "You'll be distressed to learn that driving requires little to no attention once you get the hang of it."

Harry frowned to himself, looking around at the cars passing them and driving alongside, the other drivers looking some mix of distant, bored and distracted. "You know, I think I could have lived the rest of my life not knowing that, actually."

Draco let out a bark of a laugh, grinning lopsidedly so Harry could make out one pointed eyetooth.

Harry was too distracted by Draco's smile to be very nervous about them possibly driving into a wall.

As they got further out of London, the roads got wider, with more lanes, but somehow slower as more people piled into them.

"Haven't these wankers something better to do, it's still work hours," Draco said, with an annoyed wave.

Harry snorted, "Like us?"

"We have magic, and thus we are technically at work and not at the same time," Draco said.

Harry stretched his arms overhead, hands catching the breeze, "And here I thought we were shirking and using Asbestos as a way to not get in trouble."

"Shh," Draco said shortly, "She might hear you."

Harry raised an eyebrow but didn't respond, happy enough to just ease back in his seat, the smooth leather making faint creaks as he moved.

"There are cd music disks in the glove box," Draco said.

Harry had noticed the sleek black and silver cd player in the car's dashboard but thought it had been installed by the previous owner. It hadn't occurred to him that Draco might actually use the thing.

Harry opened the glove box and took out the zipped fabric cd case, opening it and flipping through the different disks. The first was Bach, The Brandenburg Concertos, of course. Harry's brow furrowed at the next, black with the band name in jagged white lettering that looked more like a thorn bush than recognisable letters, it was, Harry guessed, some sort of heavy metal band. He blinked and looked at the next, The Beatles, White Album. Good but... it was hard to imagine Draco listening to the Beatles. Next was... Harry tilted his head, as if that would actually help him understand what he was reading, Shania Twain. The cd after that was Moby-

Harry shook his head, "I don't know any of these. Except for the Beatles. Let me guess, you just bought whichever random cds caught your eye?"

"If you already know the answer, why ask?" Draco said, "Ignore those then, there are some 'mixed' music disks in the back that are all quite palatable."

Harry flipped to the back to a collection of blank silvery cds labelled in sloppy hand-written sharpie, Drive Mix 1, Drive Mix 2 and Draco 3. He frowned, "Who burned you cd's?"

"Trev, of course," Draco said. "He said if he was going to have to drive around with me all the time, he wanted something to listen to."

"Trev," Harry muttered.

"What, are you jealous, Auror Potter?" Draco teased with a smirky grin.

Harry thought about it for a second, "Yes."

The car lurched to one side unpleasantly before Draco quickly corrected. "What?" he said, sounding strangled.

"I know he's just some stupid lad and it's not like I can travel back in time, not that I'd want to. You were probably still a prat back then. And you said he wasn't your type." Harry frowned to himself, "He isn't, right?"

"Right," Draco choked out.

Despite this, Harry took out the suspiciously marked Draco 3 and slid it into the disk drive, ready to listen for any romantic or yearning songs. The first song was a bouncy pop song Harry's only vaguely remembered hearing once before, it was not especially romantic.

Harry put the cds back in the glovebox and looked over at Draco. He seemed to have gone back to being semi-catatonic, but they were out of the city now and had very few stoplights to worry about.

They were driving back to Wiltshire because, as Draco had logically pointed out, there was no reason to leave his car in London when he probably would only be working for one more day. Maybe a few days if Hermione couldn't merge the departments, but without Harry there to sort out the politics of things, he wasn't likely to get much work done.

Harry sighed. He rolled the window down and hooked an arm over the door, resting his chin on his forearm. The wind was cool and smelled sweeter without the constant exhaust fumes, at least until they went by a pigsty. The sun slowly dropped lower in the sky as they drove, winding through towns and stands of trees, past pastures filled with bleating sheep and goats.

"Oh, cows," Harry said as they passed some cows.

Draco glanced over at him from the corner of his eye, "It's the countryside, cows are fairly common."

"Who doesn't say 'cows' when they see cows?" Harry said.

Draco raised an eyebrow.

"You, apparently," Harry said.

Draco's smiled faintly, "We're almost there."

Harry glanced at his reflection in the side mirror with a grimace, his hair was back to its same old mess. Draco's hair was equally tangled, but he combed his fingers through it, and it looked good again. Harry had a sudden intense feeling of camaraderie for Hermione's hair struggles and how people like Ron and Draco could just, swipe a comb through it and look fine. How had he not noticed how annoying that was?

Draco drummed his fingers on the steering wheel anxiously, "You can leave at any time."

"What?" Harry blinked, not following, "What do you mean?"

"I'll adjust the wards as soon as we arrive so that you may come and go as you please." Draco's grip tightened on the steering, his voice quieting. "I don't want you to feel trapped there."

It took a second for Harry to catch on, and then he spent another few seconds in surprised, but pleased, shock before saying, "Thanks, I appreciate it."

Draco nodded stiffly.

Harry thought most of all, just the fact that Draco had changed enough to think of all that, to consider Harry's feelings in the matter, meant more than anything he did. Harry hadn't really been all that worried about going to Malfoy Manor to begin with, but now he felt utterly at ease with Draco at his side. He suddenly wished that Draco had joined the Aurors, he would have liked having him as his partner.

The car slowed as they approached the imposing wrought iron gates which swung open to allow them entry.

Harry sat up and looked around curiously.

The lawns were a deep green that looked as plush as carpet. Hedges were carefully sculpted into circles and long arching lines with curved edges, and there were flowers everywhere. The air was almost heady with the smell of roses, butterflies yellow as butter danced in lazy circles in the air above them.

Draco slowly drove up the gravel path to the manor, pulling past it and driving down into what looked like a stable, now converted into a garage. He shifted the car into park, turned off the engine and then sat there, looking like he wasn't ready to move.

Harry opened his door and got out, stretching with a groan. It had been a two-hour drive, he hadn't sat so long without moving since school. He could hear Draco take a deep, bracing breath before his door creaked open.

Harry stepped outside, staring up the slope at a group of peacocks and peahens walking toward the forest. There were white peacocks, which he had expected, but there were also the regular blue and green ones, and ones that looked mixed between the two, piebald and grey and purple.

"It's changed a lot," Harry said.

"The Manor back then was... sick in a way, poisoned by our misery," Draco said as he came up beside Harry.

One of the peacocks made a shrill cry and raised his fan of tail feathers, blue and green, the many eyes of feathers arrayed around him like a halo.

"That and my mother really hasn't had much else to do. She has become very involved with the landscaping," Draco added.

A house-elf appeared, holding up a fancy box containing a silk pillow, on which Draco's wand sat like a princess' glass slipper.

Harry snorted.

"Shut up," Draco said absently, taking his wand and raising it into the air. He cast a series of spells to alter the wards, and they shimmered in the air above them before settling back in place.

"Shall I tell Mrs Malfoy you have returned?" The house-elf asked. They were wearing a little immaculately-tailored butler uniform.

Draco nodded.

"And that you have a guest?" The elf hazarded.

"Oh no, I want that to be a surprise," Draco said.

Harry could have sworn he saw the house-elf roll their eyes before giving a little perfunctory bow and disappearing again.

"Shall we?" Draco said.

The main doors opened as they approached, no house-elves or anyone else in sight.

Harry glanced over at Draco and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Draco asked.

"They open automatically? Even Hogwarts doesn't have doors that open when you walk up," Harry said.

Draco held up a finger, "One, that would be highly impractical, children are going in and out of the castle at all the time-"

"And two?" Harry asked, expecting bullshit.

"And two," Draco smirked, "I got the idea from muggle automatic doors, which they put just about everywhere."

"Yeah, they don't put them in their houses," Harry said.

"That's not my problem, is it?" Draco said.

Harry laughed, "I suppose not."

The doors closed behind them, and their footsteps took on the ring of stone then hushed under intricate swirling carpeting. Harry didn't actually remember much of the manor when the snatchers brought him here. He had been worried about more important things.

But a few things were randomly burned into his memory. He remembered empty portrait frames gilded in gold and the pattern of the marble mosaic of the floor in the ballroom. And he remembered Draco's face as his father forced him to look at Harry, pale and shaking and trying so desperately to hide how terrified he was, though at the time Harry hadn't been able to see it.

"Draco, dear heart," Narcissa's voice rang out ahead of her as she came down one of the twin staircases on either side of the large entry hall, "You're home early, and you brought your automobile back, is everything alright?"

She swept up to Draco in flowing turquoise and silver robes, putting her hands on his shoulders and going up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek.

"Everything is fine, I brought a guest for dinner," Draco said, gesturing towards Harry.

"Err hi-" Harry started.

"Really, Draco?" Narcissa said severely, "I suppose you think this is funny?"

"I find a lot of things funny," Draco said.

"Where did you even get polyjuice potion? Or one of Mr Potter's hairs?" Narcissa said, she walked up to Harry and glared at him, hands on her hips.

Harry stared back, nonplussed.

The war had aged her, but she was still icily beautiful in her own way.

"Polyjuice takes a month to brew," Draco said, "And they don't sell it at the apothecaries."

"Not the reputable ones," Narcissa said.

"And I am the kind of fool to risk what little of my reputation remains by even stepping foot into Knockturn alley?" Draco asked.

Narcissa turned to glare at him, and Draco crossed his arms over his chest, trying to look serious but mostly looking like he was trying to hide one of his stupid smirky little smiles. Narcissa crossed her own arms over her chest, mirroring Draco, except without the amusement. They stared at one another, neither backing down.

"Fine," Narcissa said, "Not polyjuice."

"Not polyjuice," Draco agreed.

"A glamour then," Narcissa said.

"If its a glamour, dispell it," Draco said.

Narcissa lifted her chin, "You would only say that if you had found a charm that can only be dispelled with its specific counter-charm."

"Or it's not a glamour," Draco said.

Narcissa's mouth thinned, "Even if I can't remove the charm, it only changes what a person looks like, not who they are underneath."

"Mother, it's not-" Draco said, amused.

Narcissa ignored him, spinning around and walking up to Harry, putting both her hands on his face.

Harry blinked.

Narcissa blinked, her hands patting his cheeks and then the arms of his glasses, up to his messy hair.

Over Narcissa's shoulder, Harry could see Draco had lost his fight against the stupid grin and now was just trying not to laugh.

"Hello, Mrs Malfoy," Harry said, "I suppose I don't have to tell you Draco's alive this time, but I am afraid he is completely ridiculous."

Narcissa let go of his face, and her eyes went wide, frozen in place with shock.

"She freezes up just like you do," Harry told Draco.

"I do not," Draco said.

"I do not," Narcissa said, and then quickly stepped back, her cheeks flushing a blotchy pink.

Harry laughed, "Sorry to surprise you. It was my idea to come along, more or less."

"You mean it was entirely your idea," Draco said, "I had nothing to do with it."

"Nothing," Narcissa repeated, sounding far too distressed.

"Mother?" Draco asked.

"Nothing... oh, Draco-"

"Mo-"

"-I spent so long telling the other ladies what a good boy you were," Narcissa said turning to Draco and waving placating hands, "how smart and diligent, and hard-working you were-"

Harry made a smarmy face behind her back, mouthing 'so smart and diligent and hard-working' at Draco.

Draco glared at him.

"-and every time they tried to suggest you were a bad influence-" Narcissa went on.

"A bad influence?" Draco said.

"I would say, 'Oh, no, not my Draco, not my boy, he's a leader, a prefect, at the top of his class-"

"Mother," Draco said, a whine on the edge of his voice. He was starting to flush with embarrassment and very carefully avoiding looking at Harry.

"And now you've done this," Narcissa said, gesturing back at Harry, "You've ruined Harry Potter. Of all people Draco-"

"I haven't ruined him!" Draco interrupted, his righteous indignation overcoming his embarrassment, "He came ruined. If anything, I improved him."

"Draco. Draco, my darling boy," Narcissa said, walking over to him and grasping his arm, "You are the last person on earth whose opinion I would trust about Harry Potter."

Harry laughed again.

Draco was starting to look pouty, "You don't know him like I do. He was so boring and serious and-"

Narcissa sighed at him.

Draco rolled his eyes, "And of course, I'm a bad influence, Mother, I was a deatheater, wasn't I?"

"We all knew that it was done to punish Lucius for his failures," Narcissa said.

"Well, I didn't know," Draco said.

"You were sixteen ...and a bit self-involved-"

Draco looked dismayed.

"-I blame your father for that."

Harry thought that both Draco's parents were pretty self-involved as far as blame was concerned.

Narcissa spun around, suddenly all smiles, "I'm so sorry about all this, Mr Potter. I wasn't expecting a guest of such... esteem, as yourself."

Harry raised an eyebrow.

Behind her, Draco snottily mouthed 'such esteem'.

Harry only just resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at him.

"You must excuse my rudeness, it has been so long since we've had visitors, I'm afraid I'm out of practice," Narcissa said.

"Out of practice of hiding what you really think," Draco said.

Narcissa shot a glare over her shoulder.

"I prefer it," Draco said.

This Narcissa reminded him a lot of Andromeda, it was the first time he really believed they were related.

"You don't have to be polite on my account," Harry said. "I prefer knowing what people really think."

Narcissa made an absolutely putrid expression like she had just smelled a particularity rank fart. "It's not done. It's not proper."

"Proper is boring," Draco said.

"I already know your thoughts on the matter," Narcissa said coolly. "Your father isn't going to take this well."

"Then don't tell him," Draco said.

"Of course, I'm going to tell him," Narcissa said.

"But it will be so funny when he-"

"No, it won't," Narcissa said firmly, "The two of you will just spend the entire meal shouting at one another. I don't need a headache tonight, I've had enough of them lately."

"But Mum!" Draco burst out, sounding all of five-years-old.

Narcissa held up a finger, "Not in front of guests."

"Potter doesn't count as a guest. He counts a nuisance," Draco said petulantly.

"Then I shall put down two nuisances for dinner. We eat at six, and I expect you to behave yourself," Narcissa said. "Now I have to go speak to your father."

She gave Draco one more disapproving look before hurrying up the stairs.

"I think it went well," Harry said once she was out of sight.

Draco laughed, "Oh, do you?"

Harry laughed too, pleased that Draco remembered saying it earlier. "So... your mum is a bit different than I remember."

"She's remarkably sane after going through five years of house arrest and dealing with Father and I," Draco said.

"Does she-" Harry hesitated, "err...there's no good to say this, does your mum have friends?"

"Only the fair-weather sort," Draco said, "As you might imagine, no one wants anything to do with a family of Voldemort supporters."

"You said it," Harry said surprised.

"Said what? That my entire family is social poison?" Draco asked.

"No, Voldemort," Harry said.

"I've said it before," Draco said raising an eyebrow.

Harry's brow furrowed, "Have you?"

"Yes," Draco said.

"Oh," Harry said, "Really?"

Draco raised his eyebrows.

"I just don't remember you saying it before," Harry said, "You always used to say 'The Dark Lord'."

"I just sat on my bed and said it over and over again until it wasn't scary anymore," Draco said sarcastically.

"Really?" Harry said flatly as if he believed in every word.

Draco rolled his eyes, "Come on, we have some time, and you need to fix-" he waved at hand at Harry's hair, "that."

"It's no worse than it was before," Harry said.

"As if that's a good argument," Draco said, "And besides it's much worse. You look like you stuck your finger in a muggle electrical socket."

Harry frowned and patted his hair down, "It's not that bad."

"You look like a cartoon," Draco enunciated, which sounded just stupid enough in his posh voice that Harry laughed.

"You a fan of cartoons?" Harry asked.

"I find them quite engaging," Draco said.

Harry grinned.

Draco's ears flushed a faint pink, "I wasn't talking about you. Cartoons are funnier than you."

"Ouch," Harry said lightly.

"Come on," Draco guided him deeper into the Manor.

Harry couldn't help noticing that they were headed in the opposite direction Narcissa had gone in. The doors they stopped in front of were doubled, two heavy old wood doors with unnecessarily curly handles.

Draco turned both handles and pushed open the doors in a dramatic flourish, an unspoken 'ta-dah' hanging in the air as he stepped aside to show the room off. Or rooms.

They were in what looked like a sitting room. Harry frowned and immediately walked over to the nearest door. Inside was a large bedroom with a massive walk-in closet left open with a mess of clothes scattering out its open maw like a trailing multicoloured tongue.

Harry turned around, there were two other doors on the other side of the sitting room. Harry stomped over to one, jerking it open, it revealed an office of sorts, with a desk and bookshelves on one side and a brewing table and shelf of potion ingredients on the other. The last room was a bathroom, massive and ornate with a bathtub big enough for two or three people, a shower- equally big, and a double sink, potion pots and salves scattered all across the counter.

"All of this is just your room?" Harry asked, annoyed on the principal of the thing.

"Yes?"

"It's- like, I've seen flats smaller than this. And they had a kitchen," Harry said.

"This is fairly modest considering I'm the master of the house," Draco said, "You should see my parents apartments, they have fifteen rooms."

"What the fuck do you do with fifteen rooms?" Harry asked.

"Mostly nothing," Draco said.

"No, really, do they have like seven sitting rooms? Like each one a different colour?"

Draco smile grew, "You're very nearly correct. There is the study, which is burgundy, mother's parlour is pink, father's office is green, the tea room is blue, their sitting room, in pale yellow, and the formal sitting room for receiving guests, in purple. The conservatory is mostly glass, but the connecting wall is-"

"Orange?" Harry guessed.

"It's lilac. Orange? Really? You think my family would have anything in orange when they persist in carrying on their stupid little feud with the Weasley's?" Draco said.

"You think it's stupid?" Harry asked.

"It's objectively stupid," Draco said, "I'm not even familiar with any of the Weasley family-"

"Except Ron."

"Except that one," Draco agreed sourly. "And you are well aware of our long, strained history."

"I think the two of you could get on if you wanted to," Harry said.

Draco made a face, "I doubt it."

"We get on now," Harry pointed out.

"Yes, well I don't fan- ah, never mind-" Draco cut himself off, immediately looking embarrassed. He shoved Harry into the bathroom, "Fix your hair, would you?"

"I should hope you don't fancy him," Harry said under his breath, "might put a kink in our relationship."

"And not the fun kind."

Harry spun around, but Draco had already retreated out of sight. But the voice sounded familiar, in a genderless lilting way.

"Good grief, darling, what did you do to your hair? You look dreadful," the mirror said, and his reflection reached up, drawing down a strand of frizzy windblown hair and glaring at it cross-eyed.

Draco stole the fucking mirror.

"You stole the fucking mirror!" Harry yelled, storming back into the sitting room.

He saw the smile on Draco's face before he tried to hide it- badly- under a very serious- bullshite- expression.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," Draco said.

"You stole the mirror from the loos on level seven!" Harry said.

Draco's eyebrows rose a tick. He looked insufferably pleased with himself.

"The one we used this morning!" Harry said.

Draco shook his head, "I have no idea, auror Potter, I've always had that mirror."

"You stole it," Harry said.

Draco considered for a moment, "We were together all day."

Harry narrowed his eyes. He was right.

"I'm sure you would have noticed, if I stole a mirror while we were together," Draco said.

"Then you must have told Asbestos to take it," Harry guessed, though he couldn't figure when the two of them had been alone long enough for Draco to tell her.

Draco pursed his lips, "I never... directly instructed Asbestos to steal the mirror."

"That's- that's not the point! You told me you were going to steal it and now here it is! You're going to get arrested!" Harry snapped.

Draco crossed his arms over his chest, "Are you?"

"I- What?" Harry said.

"Are you going to arrest me?" Draco asked, his expression guarded, "You're the only one that knows, after all."

Harry's expression curled into a snarl, "You bastard."

Draco sighed, looking away, "I'm not stupid, or an arsehole. The bathroom on level seven still has a mirror. It's the same size. It does what it's supposed to, it reflects your face. I don't know what more you want."

"I want you to not have stolen it," Harry said.

"But I wanted it," Draco said.

"What are you, a child?" Harry said in exasperation.

"Sometimes. When it suits me," Draco said.

Harry rolled his eyes.

Draco shot him a glare, "Look, I didn't have much of a childhood, at least not the way I see other children having one. So I'm having one now."

"You're twenty-three-"

"So? I get to choose how I act and what I do. I'm certainly not going to pretend to be someone I'm not, pretend to be the person my parents want me to be. I think the utter misery of such a life would kill me," Draco said.

Harry wanted to stomp, feeling as petty and childish as Draco in that moment, "So you think you can just be a kid again? You're an adult!"

Draco stared at him, and Harry felt himself lean away a bit, unnerved by his expression.

"You can as well, you know," Draco finally said, "It's your life, isn't it? You're an adult, have the childhood you wanted."

Harry blinked feeling a bit gut punched and extremely annoyed that Draco Malfoy might be even a little bit right about something so- so personal.

A house-elf appeared between the two of them before Harry could respond.

The elf in a little butler uniform bowed, "Dinner is ready in the formal dining room."

Draco nodded curtly, and the elf disappeared, leaving them alone once more. Harry returned to the bathroom, quickly wetting his hair and squishing neat curls back into it and fidgeting with his suit, smoothing the fabric and righting the sleeves. Draco was waiting by the doors to his rooms when Harry came out. Both of them radiated annoyance at one another.

"I was going to arrange to buy the mirror from the Ministry," Harry said.

Draco smirked, "I see. So you just wanted it for yourself."

"I was going to buy it for you," Harry said coolly. "I'm not big on talking mirrors."

"I-" Draco opened his mouth, closed it, his ears flushing a bright embarrassed red. "That's a stupid reason."

"Stupid-?"

"It's no fun. It's boring. It's-"

"Nice?" Harry suggested.

Draco huffed a sigh at him.

"Just don't from now on, all right?" Harry said.

"Don't what?" Draco asked.

"Steal things? Break the law? Especially in front of me?" Harry said.

Draco scowled at him.

"It's not worth the risk. The Wizengamont won't go easy on you," Harry said.

"Fine. Yes. I know," Draco said. "It's not something I normally do. I tend to lose my sense of self-preservation around you."

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"I assume it's infectious," Draco sniffed.

"Actually, that would explain a lot about my life," Harry joked weakly, "Don't tell Ron and Hermione."

Draco smiled cautiously, "Your horrible secret is safe with me."

Harry returned the smile with a careful one of his own.

(a.n: sorry for the delay in updating, I took a few weeks off during the holidays and it slowed me down :D )