A Little Did We Know

-Chapter one-

"We are glad to have you here, Mr. Malfoy," Michael Longhurst, the chief of Muggle Intelligence department, said as he shook Draco's hand. Draco worked for the Ministry of Magic as a some sort of a spy among the muggles. He had to investigate Death Eaters involvement in the muggle world, so he had to learn how to think like a muggle and how to use muggle devices.

"We have a flat for you, but you won't live there alone. Your partner is living there as well and he will brief you about everything you might want to know. So, here's your keys and the car is waiting outside. I'm sure you'll like it." Michael smiled and tossed the keys in Draco's hand and walked Draco out giving him a few tips along the way.

Draco checked the address again. Yep, this was the place. A little red house which was surrounded with a small obviously unkempt garden. The house looked 'homey'. It was just like a house in the fairy tales he had read when he was younger. He took his luggage from the trunk of the car and approached the house slowly with the keys in his other hand. He tried three different keys before the front door opened.

He came into a five feet long corridor. At the end of the corridor was a doorway which led to the kitchen. He heard someone moving in the kitchen and it sounded like that someone was cooking. Apparently that person hadn't heard him coming inside, so he decided to look around a bit before meeting his partner.

To the right side of him was a coat rack. Next to it was double glass door leading into a spacious living room. The living-room and the kitchen were connected by a communicating door. Opposite to the living-room, on the other side of the corridor was a bathroom. A little further down there were two separate doors and he figured that they must lead to the bedrooms. He had no time to open either of them, because there was somebody at the kitchen door.

"Sorry but I didn't hear you coming. Would you care to join me for dinner? It's almost ready."

Draco could see that this man before him hadn't changed at all except for the fact that now he really was a good looking fellow. His hair was still a black unruly mess, but he didn't wear his glasses anymore. So for the first time Draco Malfoy had the opportunity to look straight into Harry Potter's emerald eyes.

"Malfoy? You feeling okay?" Potter's voice pulled him back to the present.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just little tired," Draco answered.

"If you'd sleep, that's fine. I can leave you some food in the fridge."

"No, the dinner sounds fine. I'm not that tired," Draco replied with a smile and walked past Harry into the kitchen.

Harry set the table and they began to eat. Draco had to admit that Potter was a good cook.

"This is good. Very good actually," Draco said and sipped the wine that he had bought.

"Thanks," said Harry, blushing. "I hardly ever cook like this, but I knew that you were coming tonight and I didn't want to be rude."

They ate in a comfortable silence which was odd enough, but Draco knew that the past was the past and everybody had to grow up at some point. Maybe Potter had known who was going to be his new partner and he had had the time to adapt to this situation, so perhaps Potter hadn't outgrown the past. Whatever the answer was, Draco knew that it would be much easier to work with Potter if they could get along with each other.

"So can I ask what happened to your previous partner?" Draco asked, as he walked over to the sink and put his plate down to the cold stone surface.

"He died," Harry answered. "We were investigating a Death Eater sighting. Two muggles had been at Stonehenge and there had been a large group of Death Eaters doing a some kind of ceremony apparently for Voldemort: trying to revive him or something.

"When we arrived at the scene it was obvious that something had happened there. There were magical imprints all over the place. We already knew that Stonehenge is a magically powerful place, but this was something altogether different. We decided to stay there and wait. What we didn't know was that they knew that we would be waiting there for them.

"We were taken by surprise when they attacked. Of course we weren't there alone. We had a few Aurors with us and they called for help when the attack began. My partner, Kyle, tossed me a gun, shouting: 'Take this' and I did. But I didn't realise that it was a portkey and I found myself whisked back to the Ministry. When I went back to Stonehenge, it was deserted. A month later I found his body on my doorstep."

There was a long silence after Harry's story.

"And you still live here although they know where you live. They could come here to kill you, you know," Draco said, breaking the silence and looking in Harry's eyes.

"No one can enter this house without my permission," Harry said and started to wash the dishes.

"So, if I make you mad, you can just kick me out and there's no way I can get in?"

"Precisely." Harry smiled and Draco liked that smile. It was a genuine smile not the forced one he was used to see on people's faces. He knew that people only smiled at him because of his name, not because they liked him.

"Longhurst said that you'd brief me about everything I need to know," Draco said, sitting down at the table and pouring some wine in his glass.

"I'll tell you everything tomorrow if you don't mind."

"No, that's okay."

There was a silence again. Draco drank the wine and watched as Harry put the dishes in their right places. There was something odd about Potter that Draco couldn't put his finger on.

"Is there something wrong?" Draco dared to ask.

"What?" Harry didn't turn to look at him.

"It's just that I get this strange feeling that you are hiding something from me. What is it?"

"Nothing. There's nothing to hide," Harry said calmly, but Draco still didn't believe him.

Should I tell him about me and Kyle? No, Harry, don't be stupid. He would just tease you about it and make your life hell. He'll hear about it from somewhere else, though, and what will he do?

"What are you thinking?"

Harry jumped and dropped the plate he was holding because he hadn't heard Draco coming to stand next to him.

"Don't sneak upon me like that!" Harry bent down to clean the mess.

"Sorry I didn't mean to scare you."

"Of course you didn't." Harry was getting irritated.

"Leave it. I'll clean it tomorrow morning," Draco said gently, which was something Harry had not believed he would hear. "Just leave it be," Draco said and walked away.

Now Harry was really confused. What game was Malfoy playing? To hell with it. If Malfoy was going to kill him while he slept, then let him. He was sick off everything, sick of everybody telling him to be brave, to be honest and to be a hero. He didn't want to be any of those anymore. He wanted to live his life in peace. Maybe Malfoy just wanted to be nice to him. Right, like that would happen. But it already had, hadn't it?

Harry followed Draco who was now standing in the corridor with his luggage.

"Which one is mine?" Draco asked and pointed to the two doors next to him.

"This one." Harry opened the door closer to the kitchen.

Harry lit the lights and walked further in the room with Draco trailing behind him.

The room was small, but there was enough room for a bed, a drawer and a desk. There was only one window and the drapes were of a deep blue colour. The carpet was a little lighter shade of blue. The walls were snow white.

"Put your bags down and follow me," Harry said and walked through the door. Harry went into the bathroom and was standing by the shower when Draco walked in.

"There's only hot water for two hours in the morning. I don't know what's wrong with it, so don't ask. Monday, Wednesday and Friday are laundry days. You put your clothes in the washing machine. Don't expect me to go around picking your socks. And we take turns with the house chores. If you have a complaint, you can say it directly to me or write a memo."

"Yes, mother," Draco said, while leaning against the doorframe.

Harry looked at him sharply, but smiled slightly.

"Don't forget that I can always kick you out," he said.

"What? I didn't do anything yet." Draco defended himself, but he was smiling too.

"I think," Harry shook his head in amusement, "that it's time for us to try and get some sleep."

~*****~

When Draco woke up, he had to think twice before he remembered where he was. He laid on his back and listened. Potter was taking a shower and he could smell bacon in the air. Soon Draco was dressed and sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast. Harry walked in wearing only a towel. Draco noticed that Harry was still in good shape even though he hadn't played Quidditch for years. He tore his eyes from Harry's torso and continued eating.

"We're leaving in an hour," Harry said and left the kitchen. Draco couldn't remember what he had been thinking before Harry came into the room. He had to admit that Harry was gorgeous. Any woman would be lucky to have him.

They apparated to the Ministry and Harry led the way, although Draco knew already where their department was. When they stepped out of the lift, they where greeted by a beautiful young woman whom Draco identified as Lavender Brown.

"Harry! Good morning! Is this your new partner, huh?" Lavender chirped behind her desk.

"Yeah, you should remember him," Harry replied and glanced at Draco once before turning back to Lavender.

"Yes. I remember him. He's very hard to forget." Lavender's voice was much colder as she looked at Draco through narrowed eyes.

Harry decided to change the topic before Malfoy would get too uncomfortable.

"So, anything new?" Harry asked and Lavender fixed her attention back to Harry.

"Oh, yes. Hermione wanted to know where are those Flamingo-files she sent you and Remus is waiting for his new mission. Moody wanted to remind you about 'the Order thing'. He said that you would know what he's talking about," Lavender read from her notebook.

Harry sighed before answering, "Well I'm gonna show Draco around so I'll take care of them tomorrow." He motioned Draco to follow as he walked to his office which was going to be their office.

Draco expected to see chaos, but was surprised to see a clean and shiny office with two similar desks and chairs.

"So what do you think?" Harry sat down and waited for Draco to say something.

"This is nice. Actually a lot better than I was hoping for," Draco answered and looked around to see various notes and newspaper clips on the walls.

For an hour Harry told him everything he needed to know and then spend another hour introducing him to other people at their department.

Some of them were familiar faces. Obviously a large amount of Harry's friends were working here. It was no surprise really, because they were trying to catch the Death Eaters who were still hiding. He suspected that almost all of these people had been D.A. members.

Draco was surprised to see Neville Longbottom there as well. He always had thought that Longbottom was a lost cause. At school he had been so clumsy but now he was a different person. Well, Draco knew that the war had changed everybody in more ways than one.

After Harry had introduced him to everybody they headed back to their office. Harry was going through some files, when Neville knocked on the door and opened it. Harry lifted his gaze from the papers.

"Hermione's here. She wants you to go to her office with those Flamingo-files," Neville said.

Harry sighed. "Goddammit. I thought that I could escape from her. Tell her I'll be right there," Harry responded.

"Wait here," Harry said to Draco and left the room.

Draco was reading a file Harry had left on the desk, when somebody knocked at the door. He saw Tom Valdom, to whom he had been introduced earlier. Tom was the Operation Communicator, the one who informed everyone about everything, including gossip.

"Harry's not here," Draco said dryly and assumed that Tom would leave.

"I know. That's why I'm here," Tom said and closed the door. Draco waited patiently for Tom to say to say what he had come to say.

"So, you are going to be Potter's next fuck buddy, heh?" Tom sat on the edge of Draco's desk.

"Excuse me?" Draco asked through gritted teeth.

"No, don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to insult you. The fact is that Potter has..." At that moment Harry walked in.

"Tom, get your lazy arse out of my office," Harry said and smacked Tom playfully on the shoulder.

"Harry, you don't have to get violent. You know that it won't work for me, it may work for you," Tom said and stayed seated.

"Go woo somebody else, Tom," Harry said. Tom tried to look like a kicked puppy but Harry didn't melt. "Now off you go," Harry said and pointed at the door.

Tom hopped off the desk and left reluctantly.

Harry sighed again, a thing he was doing a lot today.

"You must remember: Do NOT tell Tom or anyone else about your private life, but you can regard me as an exception," Harry was smiling as he said that.

"I'll remember. Don't worry," Draco answered.

~*****~

"So what do you think?" Draco and Harry were sitting in their kitchen eating a dinner Harry had cooked.

"About what?" Draco asked.

"About our department and the people who work there," Harry replied as he shoved food in his mouth.

Harry's question got Draco to think about what Tom had said. Harry had had what? Many boyfriends? Had Tom been one or was he still?

"Ah, they are great. But I have to say that almost everyone was an old friend of yours," Draco said and took a sip from his glass.

"Well it was me, Hermione and a few others who set up that department and we hire people we can trust," Harry replied and waited for Draco's reaction.

Draco didn't expect anyone to trust him so Harry's news came as a surprise. "Really?" he said.

"Yes, really."

"Thanks, I guess." Draco couldn't really find the words to thank Harry.

What if Tom was right? Maybe Harry would try to make him feel grateful and make him pay with sex. No, it was too absurd. No, noble Harry Potter wouldn't do something like that. But what if he did? Now he was getting really paranoid. He forbade himself to think anything which included Harry and sex.

He should have guessed this would happen. Harry had taken a shower and was now standing in the living-room, wearing only a towel and explaining the concept of TV to Draco. He had heard of TV before but there were a

couple of things he still wanted to know, but all the information was floating past his ears because of Harry. Draco was sure that the towel would drop if Harry kept waving his arms like that.

"Draco? Are you listening to me?" Harry's question brought him back to the present.

"Erm.. No, I wasn't actually. I'm a bit tired that's all. I'm heading for bed." Draco immediately regretted his words because they brought bad mental images into his head.

"Is something wrong?" Harry asked before Draco could get up from the couch. When Draco didn't answer he went on, a little impatiently, "Draco, really. You can tell me if you've got problems."

"I have no problems!" Draco said little too quickly.

Harry sighed and sat next to Draco.

"You really are something."

"What do you mean?" Draco asked, looking at Harry.

"You are being so defensive when all I'm trying to do is to help you." Harry placed his hand on Draco's shoulder.

It felt like a lightning bolt through his system and Draco jumped away from Harry.

"Just leave me alone!" Draco shouted. He rushed into his room and locked the door. Harry would hate him if he found out what he was thinking. But Harry is gay, isn't he? No, don't go there Draco. He'll hurt you if you let him get too close. Don't you remember what happened last time you let someone too close?

He had loved his father as anyone would their own parents. He had trusted him not to hurt him, but this trust had been proved to be misplaced.

When he had declined the opportunity to be a Death Eater, he had thought his father would protect him, but oh, how wrong he had been. His father tortured him and did things to him he was happy to forget.

He had let his father too close and his father had taken advantage of this knowledge. He knew what he meant to his son and hurt his son mercilessly until Draco was just a rag doll. His mother paid with her life when she saved him from his father. Draco got away and was taken to Hogwarts where he was healed. His body had been healed, but his heart and mind were scarred for life.

Draco slid down on the floor tears running freely down his cheeks. He had to stop thinking about Harry that way. There was no future for them. He had to move on before this little crush could become much more.