A Certain Kind of Memory

It was a really odd thing to get used to having friends when I arrived at Hogwarts.

Suddenly everything wasn't a solitary event, and I had to remember that.

Add that to the fact that I had absolutely no idea what I was doing

and I'm sure I must have seemed a bit vague at times.

Understandable, I guess, because anything new takes practice.

Getting it right is the biggest buzz.

Harry Potter, December, 2005

Waking up in a bed with someone else was a new experience for Harry, and waking with blond hair in his face and a warm back against his chest was somehow comforting, but waking up to the owner of that blond hair and the warm back subtly moving his arse against Harry's morning erection was something incredible.

Harry's arms tightened around Draco and he flexed his hips forward. It was a snug fit and Harry suddenly had a glorious notion of what it would be like to bury himself deep inside Draco.

"Good morning." Draco's sleepy rumble was deep and husky and accompanied by a delightful hip roll.

"Hmm, I'll say it is," Harry purred, pressing his lips to the back of Draco's neck.

Draco laughed softly and reached back with his arm to cradle Harry's head and Harry's mouth slid across warm sleepy skin beneath Draco's ear. "I could get used to this, Harry. Touch me, please?"

He really didn't need to be asked but he smiled and slid his hand down between Draco's legs to the damp heat of his erection, dragging a muted moan from him as his fingers closed around the hardness.

He'd only seen Draco naked once before and as it had been late when they'd come to bed last night, he'd been too tired to look. It seemed unimportant though, the dreamy newly awakened touching stimulated his senses enough. Draco's warm musky smell surrounded his nose as he buried it in the mussed blond hair and the arching and slow seductive movements of Draco's lithe body against his was going to ensure that his morning erection would be taken care of very quickly.

They seemed to find a compatible pace, Harry rocking his hips forward and stroking timed well with Draco's sinuous encouragement. Before long, soft moans and tiny gasps of pleasure filled the room and Harry found himself needing to go faster, harder, and things began to spiral as he felt Draco tense in his arms then let go with a loud exclamation of "Yes!"

The hand in his hair gripped convulsively as Draco came and it pushed Harry to bite down hard on Draco's neck and hang on tightly while he finished, breathing heavily.

After a few moments, Draco's hand slid down to cover the one that was between his legs and they both slowly stroked the softening appendage. Draco made little sated noises of pleasure and Harry smiled at the intimacy of Draco showing Harry what he liked.

"You like being stroked after?" Harry asked in a whisper in Draco's ear.

"Hmm. It's sensitive and offers almost painful pleasure, just enough to bring me back down," Draco replied, slowing the strokes down until they stopped. He half turned and looked at Harry, smiling. "If you plan to wake me like that every morning, I might never leave."

"Hey, you woke me, rubbing that sexy arse against me," Harry teased. "And if you plan to do that every morning, I might never let you leave."

"Keep me here against my will, will you? Kinky bastard," Draco joked.

"Might even tie you to the bed," Harry said, nibbling on Draco's neck and playing along.

"Promises, promises." Draco laughed back. "I'll buy the rope then."

"You serious?" Harry asked.

"Why not?" Draco replied, rolling over in Harry's arms and kissing his cheek. "I trust you to untie me when I ask and it's a bit naughty being tied down and unable to move so you can do whatever you want with me."

"Have you done it before?" Harry asked, curious.

Draco shook his head. "Not really, no. I had one wrist tied to a bed post once but wasn't game enough to go for both. Probably an indication I didn't quite trust my partner."

"Hmm..." Harry thought for a moment. The thought of Draco tied and not able to run away was intriguing. The sight of him stretched out on the bed, open for Harry to do whatever he wanted to him even more so. If he wasn't careful, he'd be hard again in a flash. "So, ropes then, or would cuffs be better?"

"Fluffy ones so they don't hurt?" Draco smirked back, a twinkle of laughter in his eyes.

Harry laughed. "Well, I'll let you choose, seeing as I've never done anything like that before."

"All right," Draco said, leaning in and kissing him quickly on the lips. "Now, no more kissing, you have morning breath."

"As do you," Harry parried.

"I do not!" Draco said huffily. "I'll have you know that Malfoys do not have morning breath. Not ever."

Harry pinched his bum, his very tight bum if the mounds of flesh in his hands meant anything, and rolled over to climb out of bed. "You believe what you want, Draco," he said laughing.

Draco reached over and swatted his arse, at which point Harry yelped and turned, diving back on Draco, tickling him mercilessly. Draco squealed and tried to fight back, but Harry was too big and in no time he had Draco laughing helplessly, crying for mercy.

"I give up, I give up," Draco yelled.

"Good," Harry said, stopping and kissing him instead. "I'm going to have a shower and then check how Ginny's doing. See if Blaise needs anything, too. Want to come with me?"

Draco shook his head. "You go shower and I'll make us breakfast then we can both talk to Blaise," he said.

He would have liked to shower with Draco, but there were other things more important than fooling about right now. Their days were busy enough as it was, and they needed to make sure they ate when they could. Draco was right, they should have breakfast. With everything happening, who knew when they'd get to eat again, today?

"All right," he agreed reluctantly as he rolled out of bed. He picked up some boxers and walked through to the bathroom, acutely aware that Draco was watching him and not minding one bit.

***

Half an hour later, breakfast was on the table and they were both preparing to eat. An owl tapped on the window with The Daily Prophet and Harry let it in, fed it some owl treats before paying it and let it fly off.

"The accident is front page news," Harry said, reading the headlines as he sat down again. "At least Seamus managed to keep the full extent of her injuries out of it."

"He's a half decent bloke," Draco admitted. "For a Gryffindor." Harry looked up at him, knowing that he didn't mean it in anything other than a gently teasing way.

"He looks after us," Harry agreed. "Like the time we were all asked to leave that strip club because Ron drank too much and thought one of them looked like Hermione." Which had actually been rather hilarious. Ron had become all protective and climbed up on stage with his coat and tried to cover the girl up, saying that she was a good girl and she should be home with her family. In the end the security had thrown them all out because Ron had become belligerent while drunk and fought back when pushed back into his seat. There had been a number of other patrons there that had recognized them and Seamus had managed to stop the embarrassing story for Ron's sake more than anything.

"I know," Draco agreed. "I just like winding you up."

"Prat," Harry said, narrowing his eyes. The he returned to the paper. "They say she'll be back by the start of the season," he said. "Isn't that just after Christmas?"

"Yeah, I doubt she'll be ready by then," Draco said. "Even if she does recover full use of her legs."

Harry felt a pain sharpen itself across his chest and he winced. "She will recover fully," he said, determined.

"I think she will, too," Draco agreed, "but we have to face the reality that it might take a long time."

"But it could be next week, too," Harry stressed.

"Yes, it could be. I suppose I'm just used to being realistic about things I want. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to -"

Harry shook his head, "No, it's all right, I understand. You're right."

There was little talk then as they ate their breakfast, mainly discussion about what else was in the paper and plans for the day. Mostly, they depended on what Ginny and Blaise needed, but Draco mentioned that he did have to get to the shop for a while to organise the final touches for the Grand Opening in a week's time.

After breakfast they called Blaise through the Floo but he wasn't there. The house-elf told Harry that Blaise was still at the hospital. Harry and Draco looked at each other.

"We'll have to see if we can get him to come back here for a rest tonight," Draco said.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, he's not going to be doing her any good if he collapses."

They Flooed to St. Mungo's and walked the corridors to Ginny's room, where they found her awake and eating breakfast with Blaise sitting tiredly by her bedside.

"Hello, Gin," Harry said, smiling to see her up and looking alert. He nodded at Blaise, too, noticing how exhausted he looked.

"Harry! Draco!" she called, grinning and holding out her arms for a hug, even if it was a bit stiffly.

Harry went to her and hugged her and Draco followed soon after.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Draco asked Ginny.

"Much better than yesterday," she said, drinking some orange juice that was on her tray for breakfast. "Yesterday I think the shock of the fall and all the potions they gave me played havoc with my coping skills," she went on. "The nurse told me that this morning when she gave me my medication," she continued. "I'm sure that as soon as they let me out of here and I can begin my rehabilitation that I'll recover so quickly, they'll never even realise I've missed training," she said, obviously referring to her teammates.

Harry and Draco looked at each other, confused, then Harry turned to Blaise who shrugged and inclined his head as if to say, "I'll tell you outside."

Nodding, he turned back to Ginny. "That's great news, Gin. Can Draco or I get you anything?"

"No, they look after me pretty well here, Harry and I guess that it doesn't hurt that I'm a little bit famous, does it?" She giggled. "They fall all over themselves to make sure I'm comfortable," she said. "About ten of them have been in asking for autographs. Blaise chases them away. My hero." She looked at Blaise lovingly and reached out to caress his face. He just smiled, tiredly.

They let Ginny prattle on, but it was very obvious that her medication had some seriously amusing side effects. After about ten minutes, a nurse entered to take some details and do some diagnostic spells on Ginny. Blaise motioned for them both to come outside the room.

"What's wrong with her?" Draco asked. "She's beginning to sound like Luna."

Harry thumped his arm playfully. Blaise gave a short laugh.

"The medication they gave her for the pain seems to have made her act like she's been on some sort of illegal substance. They say it will wear off, but all she does is talk." Blaise laughed, but Harry could see that he was so tired.

"Why don't you go home and sleep and I'll stay here with her," he said. Blaise shook his head, but Harry interrupted. "You're no good to her so exhausted you can't function. Go home, shower and sleep for a few hours and then come back here refreshed."

"I'll take him, Harry," Draco said when Blaise finally nodded. Harry kissed him and they left. Harry returned to Ginny's room, prepared to spend the next few hours listening to Ginny talk.

***

By the time he arrived home, Draco was at the shop, Blaise had returned to the hospital and the flat was silent. Harry grinned to himself, thinking he never again thought he'd be grateful for silence. With an afternoon to himself, the quiet would be perfect for working on his book some more and concentrating on that might take his mind off worrying about Ginny, too.

Hours later, he was frowning at the screen, having been trying, and not succeeding, to find the right words to describe how being down in the Chamber of Secrets had felt; only knowing Ginny was in danger and completely ignorant of what he'd have to endure to rescue her. All these years later, he could still remember the fear; he just had no words to describe it.

"Harry, I'm home."

Harry quickly saved his work and shut down his computer just as Draco walked into the room.

"You look like you've had a hard afternoon," Draco said, walking over to Harry and kissing his forehead.

"Just stuck on the wording of something," Harry replied, standing up. "You smell like you've been brewing Pepper-Up or something."

"I have been." Draco's eyes were gleaming and there was a predatory glint to them. "Do you know what the fumes of that potion do to me?"

Harry shook his head, not saying anything, though he had a pretty good idea as Draco's heightened breathing and his eyes relayed plenty of meaning.

Draco moved closer to Harry, who stepped backwards instinctively. "It makes me incredibly horny, Harry." Another step closer and Harry's own breathing increased as the adrenaline rushed unchecked through his body.

"And what do you expect me to do about it?" Harry teased, though he bunched a hand in Draco's shirt, pulling him along as he stepped back towards the bedroom.

Draco's placed his own hand on Harry's chest and began pushing him towards the bedroom quicker, eyes darkened now and voice husky. "I don't expect you to anything but lay there and let me ride that glorious cock of yours."

Harry decided he could live with that and rapidly pulled Draco into the bedroom with him, his body already responding in the appropriate manner and making the divesting of clothes a matter of urgency. He would have liked to spend time slowly undressing Draco this first time but there appeared to be no time for that and the sight of Draco sitting on him, straddling him and grinding his arse against Harry's erection was enough compensation. More than enough.

Draco was hard and looking down at Harry as if he wanted to devour him. "Where's your lube, Harry?"

"Top drawer." Harry moaned, sliding his hands up along Draco's thighs to the creases at the tops of his legs, where his thumbs ran over smooth skin and brushing wiry pubic hair occasionally.

Harry had held this body in his arms while they both came this morning, so he knew the sight of Draco above him, moving his body, arching and rocking would make him catch his breath but the reality of it was so much more sensual and immediate.

Draco fingering himself to stretch himself wide and willing set totally lecherous desperation carousing through Harry and he could barely wait to slather himself with lube and have that gorgeous body riding him. But he watched and he waited because this was their first time and he wanted to savour it a little, desperation and lust notwithstanding.

When Draco was ready and Harry's aching erection well lubricated, Draco placed both hands on Harry's chest and lifted himself while Harry tried to line up with Draco's entrance. He supposed as they got used to each other that this would become easier but, right now, he was irritatingly close but just could not manage to get the right spot as one or the other of them kept slipping.

He could see Draco's arms trembling, his body shaking lightly and hear the frustrated noises, as he was obviously impatient to have Harry fill him. "Come on, Harry," he pleaded shakily.

"I'm trying." Harry used both hands then, one to hold himself and the other to hold Draco steady when he found the right place, then he pushed upwards a little and finally breached the tight ring of muscle.

Draco let out a strangled scream and dropped unceremoniously all the way onto Harry. "Thank fucking God." He moaned and immediately began to lift himself again.

"Fuck." Harry groaned. "Are you ready for this?" Draco was so tight it almost hurt.

"I've been ready for fucking hours... Fuck me, please?"

Harry growled as he was engulfed in tight, tight heat, his hands moving to grip Draco's hips helping to lift him, then pull him back down as his hips snapped upwards. Draco screeched and for a moment he thought that he hadn't been stretched enough and he was hurting him but then he began chanting, "Yes..." and "Harder..." and Harry decided that Draco knew his own body best, so he bent his knees, braced his legs so as to get maximum thrust and fucked Draco brutally, gripping onto his hips tightly.

The loud slap as their skin met was joined by grunts and moans and increasingly less coherent mumblings from Draco as sweat poured off their bodies with the exertion. Harry's arousal flared every time he was buried as deep inside Draco as he could be. And watching as Draco's head dropped back exposing that lovely neck made him shiver but what made his heart sing and his balls contract ready for orgasm was the moment Draco's head drooped loosely onto his chest in utter exhaustion. Harry's spirit soared knowing he'd been the one to have this effect on Draco and he slowed his thrusts while he took Draco in his hand and stroked in time with each push deep inside. The touch seemed to revive Draco somewhat and he moaned and began thrusting into Harry's hand.

Before he even had time to appreciate that Draco was coming, his own orgasm hit him and he yelled his completion, jubilant.

Draco collapsed onto Harry's chest the moment he was finished and he lay there panting. Harry, also breathing heavily, wrapped his arms around Draco and held on.

"Christ, are you going to be making this potion often?" Harry asked when he had enough breath back.

"I fucking hope so." Draco laughed breathlessly.

***

A week later, Draco's shop opened. It was a fancy event; Pansy having invited just about everyone they knew and most of the medical staff at St. Mungo's as well.

Draco had been working hard on preparing his potions and the shelves looked bright and colourful with their lines of vibrant hues. Cleverly, Draco kept all the ugly looking potions on shelves in a small room just behind the counter. In this way, he said, people felt a lift when they walked into the shop, not like they had to hold their breaths until they could get back out into the fresh air.

He'd hired an assistant, Charles, a youth probably just out of Hogwarts. He had his NEWT in Potions, a modicum of talent and he could tend prepared potions, or in other words, ensure they didn't overcook. Draco was quite impressed.

Harry wasn't so sure. Charles was too sycophantic for his tastes; he hung on every word Draco said, with this look of utter adoration or hero worship on his face. And he tried too hard to get Draco's attention, often interrupting their discussions with some trivial matter.

And he didn't like Harry being in the shop; that much was clear, as he made snide remarks about how interrupting Draco while he was working could cause accidents.

Of course Draco laughed him off when he raised the subject.

"Oh, Harry, don't be silly, he's a child. What would I do with one of those?"

"I'm more concerned about what he wants to do with you," Harry retorted.

"Are you jealous, Harry?" Draco asked, pleased.

"Aren't I allowed to be?"

"It's rather cute, actually," Draco said, advancing on Harry with a predatory air.

"It is?" Harry smirked and retreated a few steps.

"Hmm, rather hot if you want my opinion."

"Well, then let me say that if he so much as looks at you like he wants to devour you one more time I'm going to hex his bits off." Harry growled, deliberately provoking Draco who, predictably, jumped on him.

Harry did like that aspect of things.

***

Harry and Draco spent hours at Ginny's bedside, both in the hospital and when she was allowed to go home. Blaise had set the house up for her so that she could be at the center of the house while still bed bound, and had organised a sort of wheel chair for her to get around the house with later on as she began to recover feeling in her limbs.

Harry often stayed and helped Ginny with her exercises that were designed to keep her muscles from withering too much and to try and encourage the resumption of nerve function and movement. During those times, Ginny often confided in him that she felt she wasn't going to get any better. He hated seeing her despondent and depressed about her condition, still sure that it was only going to be temporary. He kept trying to reassure her and she thanked him, but she had the look about her that said she'd really already given up and she was only going through the motions of the exercises to keep Blaise and the medical staff happy.

As soon as Blaise walked through the door, her whole demeanor changed and she became the Ginny she thought everyone wanted her to be. In a way Harry felt privileged to be trusted enough to be shown how Ginny really felt, but at the same time it left him in a dilemma, because Ginny was giving him indications that she needed professional help; that she needed more help than the extent of his ability to be a supportive friend could offer. He had no idea how to deal with someone sinking into a depression like that. The only experience he had to measure it against was the short time after he was told of his own illness. It wasn't really comparable though. Learning to live with a disability - if that's what she was going to have - entailed numerous different adjustment strategies than learning how to accept death.

The fact that Ginny was keeping all this from Blaise meant she was scared of his reaction - afraid of having to see the pity in his face - same as the way Harry felt about telling his friends about his illness. The fact that she was keeping Harry up to date on her true state of mind meant that whether she consciously acknowledged it or not, she wanted help.

And after a week where he couldn't even rouse Ginny to complete her exercises, he knew that it was time to step in and do something about it, despite his misgivings about the consequences were he to be found out. He had a rudimentary plan and although he wished Ginny would talk to Blaise about it, he knew she wouldn't.

As luck would have it he was meeting Seamus for a drink that evening before heading off to be fitted for robes for Ron and Hermione's wedding. Even though that wasn't for another month, Hermione, in her usual methodical manner, would have every single thing planned and organised to within an inch of its life weeks before the date. Ron had told Harry that as best man he was supposed to host the stag night which, according to Hermione, was going to be a few drinks with a few mates three nights before the wedding.

Harry was just as happy to do that. Of course, what happened there and what Hermione didn't know happened there were two completely different things. And all the better if Ron didn't know what was going to happen, either. There would be no lasting harm done. Not really.

When Harry walked into the bar, he immediately saw Seamus sitting at one end with a pint of Guinness in front of him. He smiled at him and made his way through the after work crowd and sat beside him ordering a beer from the barman.

"How's things, Seamus?" he asked the sandy haired Irishman.

"I'll get by," he said. Harry frowned. This wasn't like Seamus, who was usually a fairly optimistic person.

"You don't sound too sure of that," Harry ventured, dropping some money on the bar and thanking the barman with a nod when he placed his drink in front of him.

"I'm not," Seamus replied, shortly. "I might be looking for a new job soon," he said.

"How come? You love working at the Prophet."

Seamus turned and looked at Harry. "I used to. They were really great about me being friends with you and the others. You're all heroes and there's ...you, for God's sake. You're me mate and all and when I started I told them I wouldn't be printing gossip and personal stuff about any of you."

Harry nodded. It was one of the reasons Seamus loved his job, because the pressure wasn't on him to reveal personal knowledge about any of them. It gave any comments that Seamus did report about them more weight, because everyone knew they'd be accurate. He wondered, though, if they'd all taken that for granted a bit too much. Other newspapers didn't hold the same restraint that Seamus did and there had been gossip about him and Draco for weeks now, although no one had confirmed anything.

"And, so what's changed?" Harry asked.

Seamus sighed. "They know the statements issued by the Harpies about Ginny, aren't true. They know I know the truth and they want me to print it." He hung his head almost into his beer. "I can't do it, Harry. Ginny is having a hard enough time of this as it is, she doesn't need what this news would stir up."

Harry took a long pull on his beer and patted Seamus' shoulder. "Have you spoken to her about it?" he asked.

Seamus shook his head. "I couldn't. You know as well as I do that if she knew it were me job on the line she'd agree to let me tell it."

"So, instead you'll leave a job you love?"

"Me friends mean more to me than me job," he said. "How would any of you ever trust me again if I did that?"

He had a point; Harry had to admit that. It might not start off like that, but bit-by-bit Seamus would be left out of things, not told something important, not entrusted with the same secrets as the rest of them and little by little he'd be isolated.

"What will you do?" he asked Seamus.

Seamus shrugged. "I have no idea. They haven't fired me yet, they're just threatening."

Harry watched as Seamus downed the rest of his Guinness with a sense of sadness. What Seamus needed now was a distraction. Which, Harry thought, might work in more ways than one. Perhaps if he could give Seamus another big scoop then they might leave off him long enough for Ginny to recover and then it probably wouldn't matter. And what better distraction than confirmation of all those rumours and an interview with the two guys involved? He'd have to speak to Draco about it of course, but along with getting all those rumours out of the way, it would also be some decent publicity for the shop.

"Seamus, mate, I think I might have the perfect solution." Harry grinned and clapped Seamus on the back. He drained the rest of his drink and tried to ignore the truly pathetic look of hope Seamus had in his eyes. He didn't want to raise his hopes too much in case Draco said no. He looked at his watch; damn he had to get to the robe fitting. "I'll Floo you later tonight, all right?" he said.

"What is this perfect solution?" Seamus tried, but Harry shook his head.

"I need to check something first, but I'll let you know tonight or in the morning. Don't do anything silly like resign before then, all right?"

"Okay," Seamus said doubtfully. "If you can save me job, Harry, I'd be extremely grateful."

Harry would do his best. Seamus was protecting the secrets of all of them; he deserved to have his job protected, too. He didn't deserve to lose his livelihood just because of who his friends were.

After the fitting, at which Harry decided that Hermione knew what she was on about because Ron was going to look positively debonair in his new robes, Harry hurried off to Mario's to pick up some take away food for dinner. He hadn't been back since his birthday and he felt rather guilty about that.

"Harry, you're looking wonderful," Mario said, greeting him with an effusive hug. "Did you find your young man, then?"

"Yes, Mario, I think I did," Harry said smiling back. "How are you? How are Vanessa and the kids?"

"They are well, they are well, Harry, but tell me what you been doing all this time you cannot find the time to come and see me?"

Harry caught the affectionate rebuke in his words.

"I'm sorry, Mario, there's just been so much happening in my life that it's hard to keep up sometimes. I'm busier now than when I actually had a job." Harry laughed.

"Come, come sit down and tell me all about it," Mario demanded. "I have your pasta cooking and Julian can pack it for you while we talk."

Mario knew that Harry was a wizard but none of the other staff did. Harry didn't feel comfortable telling them all, but he didn't mind Mario knowing, even though it was still against the law to divulge that information to Muggles.

So Harry sat with Mario for a while, chatting. He heard how Vanessa had a big argument with her mother and they hadn't spoken for three weeks. Mario said that it was making Vanessa realise how much influence her mother had over their lives and how she liked being in more control. Harry nodded, understanding how much having some control could mean. The business was going really well and Janet was seeing a nice boy who took good care of her. This bloke must really be a good guy if Mario approved, Harry thought, with a smile.

He told Mario a bit about his friends and how Hermione and Ron were getting married soon, how Ginny had had an accident and was recovering but had still not regained the use of her legs. Mario was extremely saddened by that.

"Such a pretty girl. She was the redhead, yes?" he asked, and Harry smiled as he nodded. Mario had a reputation for his prodigious memory for people's names. Ones that had been in his restaurant in any case. Mario patted his arm. "She is the firebrand, she will overcome her injury, you will see. Now, tell me of your young man."

So Harry told him all about Draco. Mario, of course, had noticed that they spent some time together the night of Harry's party and was pleased that Harry had found someone. He gave Harry a few shrewd looks, which made him uncomfortable.

"He makes you happy, this Draco?" Mario asked.

Harry nodded, smiling. "We seem to fit together. We're friends first, but there's always been this intensity about us when we're together. It feels a bit like a natural progression."

"Good, good." Mario nodded as Julian came out with Harry's package of pasta. "Oh, Julian, make up another two servings of the carbonara," he ordered. Then he turned to Harry. "You take the pasta back for your Ginny, yes? Tell her Mario said to hurry up and come back to see me and make an old man smile."

Harry almost laughed. Mario was only thirty-five. But he understood the sentiments.

"Hi, Julian, how's everything?" Harry asked.

"Good, Harry. Good to see you back here. No hangers on this time? No loony birds?" Julian laughed as did Harry because even Muggles called Luna loony. Not that she was, just eccentric.

"No, not this time, just come for some food for Draco and myself for dinner," Harry replied.

"That the blond that could hardly keep his eyes off you that night?" Julian teased.

Harry blushed. "Yeah, that's him," he said.

"Oh, ho, this is serious then?" Julian questioned, eyes gleaming.

"Nah," Harry protested, "we're mostly just friends, but I do like him."

"Well, it's great to see you looking happy," Julian said. "When you came in here for your birthday, you looked worried about something." He tilted his head to one side. "Now...you look more content."

Harry was a little surprised, although he shouldn't be. Julian had been waiting at this restaurant for as long as Harry had been coming here and knew him fairly well. The night of his birthday he'd been grappling with his disease for only a few days and was still reeling from the news. No wonder he'd looked worried. In fact, looking back on it now, it was a wonder that he'd looked so normal. Still, ironically, he was happy now. And what was weird; he was content, if, in the back of his mind pissed off that one day, and one day soon, it was all going to end.

"I am." He smiled.

Julian went off to make up another order of pasta for Ginny and Blaise, and Mario continued to tell Harry his family's news. How Vanessa's great Aunt Josephine had recently died and left her entire estate to her precious Pekingese dog and now the sisters were arguing over who got to look after the yappy rat. They both laughed because Harry knew full well that the sisters had detested the dog while Great Aunt Josephine had still been alive. He wondered how long the poor dog had left. Harry laughed even louder when Mario confided that Great Aunt Josephine had only kept the dog because she knew it annoyed the sisters so much. Great Aunt Josephine would be laughing herself silly seeing the squabbling sisters.

When Julian arrived back with the pasta, Harry hugged both Mario and Julian and thanked them profusely, leaving with promises to bring Draco back soon for a meal. He Apparated directly to Ginny's and checked up on her, leaving the piping hot fresh pasta with her. She wasn't much improved since the last time he'd seen her, though Blaise was with her and so she was making an effort, he could see. And she did smile a genuine smile when he relayed Mario's best wishes and demand that she come for a meal.

It reminded him that he hadn't asked Seamus if he knew of a Healer that worked with both rehabilitating the body and the psychological aspects of illness. Ginny wasn't going to accept that she needed some professional help with anything other than her physical situation, so having a healer that combined both, where one could be a subtle counseling type situation might work best. It was a fairly new field, Harry knew that and Seamus would have the contacts to be able to find out whom he should contact. Then he'd give the name to Blaise and explain what had been going on and leave the decision up to him. If he knew Blaise at all, he'd be a bit Slytherin about it and use the Healer without Ginny's knowledge and then confront her with it after she was better.

By the time he arrived home, Draco was rummaging through the fridge in order to find something to cook for dinner.

"Hi, honey, I'm home," he joked and Draco didn't turn round but stuck a rude finger up at him behind his back.

"Thought you were going to be home to cook dinner," Draco grouched.

Harry placed the trays of pasta down on the table. He'd cast warming charms on them so they were still hot. "I stopped at Mario's and had him cook up some of that pasta with the special original sauce that you loved," he said.

There was a muffled groan as Draco turned and leant on the door of the fridge. "If you're joking, I will kill you," he said.

"Not joking," Harry said, pointing to the trays. "Get a couple of plates and some forks and we can eat right now," he said. "As soon as I get some wine."

"God, Harry, I knew there was a reason I was shagging you." Draco groaned again and hurriedly collected plates and cutlery and sat down at the table.

"Seeing as I do the shagging in this family, I don't see that as a valid argument." Harry grinned, grabbing a half finished bottle of wine from last night out of the fridge and a couple of glasses from the cupboard. He sat down pouring the wine for both of them, while Draco made delighted noises dishing up the pasta.

"How is Mario, anyway?" Draco asked.

"He's good. He caught me up on all his family gossip and I caught him up on what's been happening in my life," Harry said, smiling. "He said that I have to take you back there for a meal soon."

"Sounds good, especially if I get to eat more of this pasta," Draco said. "I might have to leave you for him, Potter," Draco joked, putting a forkful of pasta in his mouth and making the most erotic little noises. Something to let smolder until they finished eating, he thought, suppressing a small moan of his own.

"Married and straight, Draco," Harry said, knowing full well that Draco was only kidding around, appreciating the good pasta.

"Damn." He pouted.

"He made some for Ginny and Blaise, too," Harry said. "I told him what happened to her."

"He knows you're a wizard?" Draco choked. "How did you get away with telling a Muggle?"

"I don't think anyone knows I've told him. He's certainly not going to tell anyone else and it makes me feel more comfortable talking to him knowing I don't have to alter what I say or be afraid I'll let something slip."

"And he's not going to run off to the Daily Prophet is he?" Draco said, nodding.

"True." Harry nodded. That was uncomfortably close to what he wanted to talk about but he wasn't sure if he wanted to right now. They'd not actually spoken about whether or not they'd make their relationship public or if they'd be happy to just not deny it in future if anyone asked, so he had no real idea how amenable Draco would be to his suggestion.

As for himself, he still really hated being in the papers all the time; that part hadn't changed. What had changed, though, was the desire to have what did appear in the paper, what was put up for the public consumption, to actually be true. He'd come to the uneasy realisation early on - about fourth year - that the papers were going to write about him whether he wanted it or not, so he'd much rather that they print the truth.

These rumours about himself and Draco were not actually untrue so they hadn't bothered him that much and he figured that if they gave the scoop of confirming their relationship to Seamus then there'd be a flurry of interest and then it would go back to a low murmur of background rabble that he could pay no attention to.

Plus it would distract Seamus' employers from Ginny's situation. For a while.

"Have you thought about whether or not you want to make some sort of public announcement about us," Harry asked. "You must get tired of the rumours in the paper and such."

Draco took another mouthful of pasta while he looked and Harry, obviously thinking while he chewed. After he swallowed, he nodded. "I have and I'd like to. After the shop opening there were other rumours too, you know. That I have cast a spell on you, that I seduced you into sleeping with me so that I could get you to set me up in the shop. Basically, that I'm using you."

Harry frowned. He had heard those but dismissed them because they were so blatantly untrue that they didn't even warrant his attention. He supposed that he'd always had to deal with negative publicity and was able to ignore the more outrageous stories but Draco obviously hadn't and wasn't. Maybe in the past the stories about the Malfoys had all had a grain of truth in them. He was silly not to have seen it from Draco's point of view before now.

"I want to, too," he said. "I'm sorry, I never realised that those stupid stories in the paper would hurt you. I've become so used to people printing lies about me, I forget."

Draco held up his fork, waving it in dismissal. "Don't worry Harry, they don't hurt, they're just wrong and I think they might affect the shop adversely that's all. And I do have a loan to repay," he smiled.

Harry nodded. "I think it will be good publicity for the shop, too." He took a mouthful of wine, savoring it and swallowing it before he continued. "I saw Seamus today. His bosses are on his back about reporting the truth about Ginny's condition."

"What?" Draco said, consternation on his face. "God that would kill her. Finnegan isn't going to is he?"

"No," Harry said, shaking his head. "But he said that they'll fire him if he doesn't."

"Those bastards." Draco growled. "What's he going to do? Speak to Ginny?"

"No. He said she'd agree to let him tell if he asked but that's not fair on her and he won't throw over friends for a job."

Draco sighed and put down his fork. "You think if we give him the story of us being in a relationship and maybe an interview that will get them off his back?"

"My thoughts exactly." Harry nodded.

"I think that's a great idea. And by the time they come after him again, Ginny will be recovered. Hopefully."

"I knew there was a reason I was shagging you." Harry smiled, and then laughed at Draco's expression.

"Well it's because of my looks of course," he said.

"Oh no, Draco," Harry replied, arousal flaring again. "It's because we think alike."

"We think nothing alike, Potter," Draco said, affronted.

"I beg to differ," Harry said. He put his fork down on his plate, stood up from the table and moved around to where Draco was sitting. "You finished with your pasta?" he asked, voice low and seductive.

Draco smirked, looking up at Harry while he very deliberately placed his fork down on the table.

"See?" Harry smirked right back. "We do think alike. Right now you're wondering if the table can stand the pounding."

"I am?"

"You are. And you're wondering how long I'm just going to stand here waiting for you to remove your trousers, before I give in and rip them from you."

"If I wasn't, I am now," Draco said throatily. "What do you plan to do with me once I've been divested of my lower garments?"

"I think you know the answer to that," Harry said

"Back to wondering if the table will stand the pounding, I see," Draco said, pushing himself up from the table and reaching for his belt.

Harry smiled and reached for him, hooking his fingers in Draco's belt and pulling him flush against his body, taking his lips into a deep kiss.

***

The next day, Harry Firecalled Seamus and asked him to drop around that evening for dinner. Seamus sounded down in the dumps and looked disappointed when Harry didn't mention anything about a solution. Harry wanted to, but would rather wait and see him in person.

After dinner was finished and they'd moved back into the lounge with cake and coffee, Harry approached Seamus about his other question.

"Seamus, could you do me a favour, no questions asked?"

"It's nothing illegal is it?" he enquired, only half serious.

Harry shook his head. "No, nothing like that, I'm just after the name of a Healer. I've read about the new field of combining psychological as well as physical rehabilitation, but I have no idea how to go about finding anyone competent. I thought with your contacts you'd be able to get me a name."

Seamus thought for a while and Draco looked on quietly. Harry had briefed him with the information earlier. He'd felt a little guilty talking about Ginny without her permission, but this was like an intervention of sorts so people had to know.

"This is for Ginny, isn't it?" Seamus asked, looking between them both.

After a quick glance at Draco, Harry nodded. "I'm loathe to ask, what with all the trouble you're having at work lately, but I wasn't sure who to ask. I know the paper has done a few articles on it and I figured you'd know the..."

Seamus interrupted him. "I get how it works, Harry and of course I'll ask Henry. I'll let you know tomorrow." He drank his coffee and placed the cup down on the table. He was a little agitated and Harry could see he was itching to ask what Harry's idea was and if it was going to work, but didn't want to sound too desperate. Perhaps Harry should just ask him and put Seamus out of his misery.

"Thanks." He looked over to Draco again and smiled at him. He really was beautiful. Harry cleared his throat. "Seamus, Draco and I were thinking that what you need is a distraction; something to take the focus off Ginny and her injury for a while. Until she gets better."

"So we want you to be the one to make an official announcement that we're together," Draco said, smirking. "Do you think that an interview and photograph of the Wizarding world's two most eligible bachelors taking themselves off the market is a big enough distraction?"

Harry could barely remember a time when he'd ever seen Seamus lost for words, but there must be a first time for everything because Seamus was sitting on the couch with a forkful of cake half way to his mouth, which was hanging open. There was a look of horror in his eyes. Or maybe it was just shock.

"You... I... You want me to do it?" he finally stammered out.

"Well, if you can be a little more articulate than spouting gibberish, then yes, we would never even consider giving the story to anyone else," Draco said.

"You're our friend Seamus and you keep all our secrets and you deserve this scoop," Harry said.

"Maybe you should either eat that mouthful or put it back on your plate," Draco said, eyeing the morsel of cake that was wavering dangerously on Seamus' fork and looked like it might fall on the carpet.

Seamus blinked and looked at his fork then dropped it back on his plate. "Sorry," he whispered, and took several deep breaths. "A real interview as well, not just me breaking the news and making what amounts to be the next rumour?"

"Never," Harry replied. "You'll have the truth, from us both, in an interview." As much of the truth as I am prepared to give you, he added silently.

"I can't believe this," Seamus said, beaming. "I...thank you. Did you want to do it now or another day?"

"Well it's not too late, really, so if you don't have anywhere else to go, we can do it now," Harry said, looking at Draco for confirmation. Draco inclined his head in agreement.

Seamus seemed to snap into gear then and whipped out his notepad and a pen.

Seeing how Seamus' face changed when the tension was released made Harry feel wonderful. There was someone else he'd managed to help. Maybe he should make a list, he thought before discarding that just as quickly. Making a list would make it appear that he needed to chronicle his good deeds, as if holding them in reserve as favours he could call in, or a way to keep check of how many times he'd helped out. God, that was sick, he thought grimacing.

Draco caught the look and gave him a questioning one. "Are you saying that I have no taste, Potter?" Draco asked, narrowing his eyes. Obviously, Harry had missed something Draco said. He'd better pay closer attention.

"No, no, sorry I was thinking of something else. You have perfect taste, carry on." Harry chuckled at Draco's look.

For the next three hours they talked about a lot of things in the interview. A few of them uncomfortable - like how they'd grown past the school boy rivalry and antagonistic feelings they had for each other. Harry was on the verge of stopping, when Seamus showed his skill in the interview and mentioned that if they did this now, then the question would have been asked by someone they trust, in their own environment and they could take their time to answer, rather than have it being thrown out of the blue while they were in company or somewhere they couldn't escape the scrutiny.

Harry reluctantly nodded and continued to answer all the questions. By the time Seamus went home completely ecstatic about his good fortune, Harry and Draco were both mentally drained and they could only manage to move the dishes into the kitchen, set a cleaning charm on them and fall into bed.