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Better Late Than Never	By : SlythindorMalfoy Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 22997 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and it's characters. All rights go to J. K. Rowling and Warner Bros. I do not make any money from this story.

Chapter List
- 12
- 13
- 14
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter and it's associated characters etc. All belongs to J.K Rowling and Warner Bros.
A/N: Hey guys, I know this was long in coming but I was on vacation for a month. xD. Please forgive me. *puppy dog eyes*. Lol! Thanks to all of you for the reviews and ratings. I wish I could explain how much it means to me to see that so many people love the story. :). I hope you guys stay with me till the end. Thanks to my beta and friend djaddict, and I know I say this all the time but honestly, she's awesome! xD. Anyway, on to the story!
*Review Responses:
ChaosLady: Glad you liked it. Thanks so much reviewing. :)
Lady-Giovanna-Potter-Malfoy: Ahahah! Here's more for you! Thanks for reviewing. :D
Em: xD. I'm really glad you're enjoying the story. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks for reviewing. :)
Sealpotter: It is a great compliment to know that you enjoy my fic! You have reviewed before. :) I was told about that Sir/Sev r'ship and I must say I'm intrigued. teehee. I actually thought I was moving too slow with the r'ship, but it's good to know I'm not. Thanks so much for reviewing and I hope you continue to enjoy BLTN. :)*
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All remaining mistakes are mine. Hope you guys enjoy this one! :)

CHAPTER 13
It was Thursday, January 3rd and Harry was a nervous wreck. It was the day of the divorce trial and he currently felt like he was about to have a nervous breakdown. The constant bustling at the Burrow, coupled with Hermione and Molly fussing over him was not helping his situation.
"Mom, Mione, give him a break." He heard a voice say and it was only when the noise died down did he realize he had been steered outside. He turned and looked up to see Ron behind him with a grim smile on his face. "Calm down Harry. Everything is going to be okay." Ron tried to soothe him but Harry just looked at him skeptically. "Look, I may not like the blond git," he continued, "But it's a well-known fact that he's a bloody good lawyer."
"I know that Ron." Harry said with a sigh. "It's just… she's your sister and all this is happening. I feel like all of you should be with her." He groaned out, gripping his hair in frustration.
"Harry, mate, listen. Of course Ginny's my sister, she always will be, but mom was right Harry. What she did was terribly wrong and there's no way we could ever be okay with that. We still love her, we just don't support the decisions she made. And besides, we want to be here to support you. You are family as well Harry. You always have been." Ron told him and Harry felt a little better, like a little bit of weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
"Thanks Ron." He muttered and hugged his best friend fiercely, fighting tears when Ron returned the hug just as hard. He would be forever grateful for these people in his life.
"Right, well, let's get back to the farmhouse." Ron said jokingly and Harry laughed lightly before following him back to the house. When inside, there was a mini family meeting where they discussed what time they would arrive at the courthouse. The Weasley clan minus Molly and Fleur were going. Molly and Fleur were the exception as they would be the ones to stay with the children. James and Lily would also be at the Burrow and he felt a pang of disappointment that he wouldn't get to see them. He had to go to the manor to have a last minute discussion with Draco and would be there before they arrived. After crushing hugs from Molly and reassurances from everyone, he walked over to the fireplace, whispered the password to Draco's study floo, and disappeared in a swirl of green flames.
At one in the afternoon, Harry and Draco apparated outside the courthouse which was located on Witch's Way, a street off Diagon Alley. The first thing he saw was Ginevra in dark blue robes, standing next to a man he assumed was her lawyer. He was a short, portly man he had never seen before. She turned in his direction and her eyes widened when she saw him. He saw her trying to make her way towards him but turned away and stepped slightly behind Draco, shamelessly using the other man as a barrier. He knew Draco didn't mind when he stood up taller and glared at her. Reporters were shouting at them and cameras were flashing endlessly. He was beginning to feel dizzy and he hated it. A hand landed on the small of his back and he was relieved when he was finally guided inside. He sat down in the front and only relaxed when Draco sat next to him, giving him a small smile. He was so tempted to just lean into him but he knew he couldn't. Harry was glad he had requested a private trial, he couldn't imagine going through the trial with the media there.
A few minutes later, Ginevra entered the courtroom, head held high. The Weasleys entered a little while after and all sat on his side. He noticed that her side was empty and felt a twinge of sympathy but quickly shoved it away. She had had no sympathy when she had cheated on him for years, and pretended that James and Lily were his. He had to keep reminding himself that she was a conniving woman, who only thought about herself.
The proceedings started and Harry was grateful. He liked the judge. His name was Judge Johnson Clifton and he was extremely straight-forward and had an air of no nonsense. Draco stated his side by explaining why Harry wanted a divorce; that he had caught Ginevra cheating on him and that she had lied to him about James and Lily, for twelve years. For her case, her lawyer stated that she was extremely sorry for her actions and did not think a divorce would be the best idea.
"Mrs. Potter, these allegations are true?" Judge Clifton asked her.
"Yes, your Honor, but-but, I am truly sorry. I didn't know what I was thinking." She said in an apologetic, simpering voice that Harry thought was as false as she was. "Harry, please, you have to believe I didn't do this to intentionally hurt you. I'm sorry." She continued in the same voice, looking at Harry, with eyes wet with unshed tears. 'Was she seriously trying to do that right now?' He thought incredulously. 'Did she really think I would fall for that? That time is over bitch.' He thought viciously and he couldn't prevent the snarl that formed on his face. With a roll of his eyes, he turned away from her to face the judge, he didn't miss the small smirk on Draco's face either. The trial continued with the judge asking questions back and forth.
"And what about the custody of the three children?" He finally asked.
Harry stood after a small prompting from Draco. "Sir, I will not ask for custody of James and Lily because I know they would prefer to stay with their mother, but I would like to be allowed to visit them and maybe have them occasionally." He told the judge, his voice shaking just slightly, showing the pain he felt. "However, I would like full custody of my son Albus." He finished before retaking his seat.
"Thank you Mr. Potter. Mrs. Potter, do you agree with this decision?" Judge Clifton asked Ginevra and Harry tensed slightly. 'What if she said no? What if she fought him on this? He already lost James and Lily, he couldn't lose Albus too!' He didn't realize he was on the verge of panicking till he felt a hand squeeze his knee and he heard Draco's voice in his ear.
"Calm down Harry. You were so worried, you didn't hear that she agreed with what you wanted. Don't worry, she will agree to anything you say right now. It's obvious she's hoping you'll give her another chance if she doesn't fight you." Draco told him, giving him a reassuring smile. He returned it with a weak one of his own. He just wanted it to be over.
"What about finances?" The judge inquired to both parties.
Draco stood up to answer, Harry missed the warmth already, but he was slightly comforted when Draco shifted slightly so their legs were touching. "My client and I have already closed all the vaults against her Your Honor. However, he is leaving the money already in the trust funds of James and Lily. Those vaults will keep receiving money till they are seventeen years of age. Also, we ask that Ginevra receive nothing and will not be allowed access to the children's vaults either, as we fear she may try-"
"What? That's not fair!" Ginevra screeched before Draco could finish. "What do you mean I get nothing? We've been married for so long. I deserve something!" She continued, completely ignoring her lawyer's attempts to keep her quiet.
Harry stared incredulously at her and he was sure everyone else was. How dare she? He had to bite his lip to stop himself from shouting at her. It seemed as if Draco realized his struggle because he quickly sat next to him, his pale hand squeezing his thigh, almost cutting off blood circulation, to keep him calm. Harry took deep breaths and tried to calm down. It would do no good to start a screaming match in the courtroom.
"Calm down." Draco whispered, leaning close. "Don't let her rile you up. Let me handle this okay?" He said softly. Harry just nodded and watched him as he stood up after squeezing his knee as a last comfort. "I would like to point out that all of the family money came from my client and he feels that this is suitable for the wrongs she has done during the marriage." Draco stated plainly. He watched as Ginny's face contorted with rage as she stared at Draco with eyes filled with hate.
"Your client and you? Don't you mean just you Malfoy?" She asked viciously, saying his name with so much hate it shocked Harry. Her fists were clenched at her sides. "You would love to see me get nothing and be even more humiliated. Everyone knows you just want Harry and nothing else." She spat but Draco just stared at her blankly which seemed to anger her further, her face quickly becoming the same color as her hair. Harry admired the blond's resolve, he might've snapped at the bitch already. His eyes narrowed slightly as he saw Ginevra smirk before turning to the judge, shrugging off her lawyer's hands as he tried in vain to quiet her. "It's funny how everyone is on my case about cheating when no one is even taking into consideration that I'm not the only one! It's no secret that Harry's fucking his lawyer and we haven't even divorced yet!" She screamed and there was a collective gasp throughout the courtroom. Harry tensed and paled rapidly as the courtroom dropped into silence. He dared not look behind him to see the Weasleys' reactions. He could already feel their questioning eyes boring into the back of his head, he knew he had some explaining to do when he saw them later. A quick glance at Draco and he saw the man's jaw twitching slightly, most likely in annoyance. Harry knew he was overreacting, but his brain kept supplying him with the images from his dreams. Fantasizing was basically the same as cheating right? Even if he wasn't doing anything with Ginevra, they were still married. Plus, he and Draco had kissed! It was brief but it still happened! His thoughts were brought to a halt by a throat clearing loudly. He realized it was Draco and looked up at him.
"Your Honor, that accusation is false and I will be considering suing for slander." He stated clearly before continuing."Mr. Potter and I are not and have never been in an intimate relationship, nor have we ever engaged in any sexual activities." He finished and Harry felt that he should also add his piece.
"That is the truth your Honor." He said standing up. "I would have never done that to my marriage and my children. Family is and always has been extremely important to me." He asserted then sat back down. After Draco had spoken, he realized he was being an idiot. He may have had dreams but he had never acted on it.
"Thank you, Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy. Is there anything else you would like to add Mrs. P-"
"That's it? You are just going to believe that bullshit? It's a lie! All of a sudden they are the best of friends? You have to see that it's obvious that they're fuc-"
"Mrs. Potter! Besides the fact that you are insulting my intelligence, I will not have another outburst in this room! Now sit down before I hold you in contempt and remove you from this courtroom." Judge Clifton's voice boomed throughout the courtroom. Harry grinned slightly as Ginevra's mouth, which had been hanging open, clicked shut and she sat down abruptly. She looked like she wanted to burst into tears. While the judge had been speaking, Draco had sat next to him and whispered something, he nodded in agreement and watched with a smug smile as Draco stood up again and cleared his throat. "Mr. Malfoy, you have something to add?" Judge Clifton asked.
"Yes Your Honor. In terms of the Potter title, even though James and Lily are not Potters, my client would like them to remain Potters for now. However, in the case of Ginevra, he requests that she be stripped of the Potter title, effective immediately, if the divorce is finalized."
"No, no, no." Harry heard her muttering from her side of the room. She looked like someone who just realized their world was ending. "NO!" She suddenly screeched, shooting up from her chair. "Harry, please." She implored, looking at him. "This is not what you want. You don't have to do this. You're letting Malfoy tell you what to-"
"Ginevra, just stop!" Harry shouted standing up. He couldn't hold back any longer. "This is my decision. You put this on yourself so stop trying to play the victim and shut up!" He said harshly before sitting back down, his face pulled into a fierce scowl of irritation. There were no more sounds from the other side of the room so he assumed she had taken his advice and shut up. Thank Merlin for small mercies.
The judge cleared his throat. "Now that we've settled, is there anything else any party would like to add?" He inquired, looking at everyone. Both lawyers said no so he continued. "Good. After listening to both parties, I declare the divorce between Harry James Potter and Ginevra Potter nee Weasley, finalized. As of now Ginevra, you are stripped of the Potter name and can no longer use the title for any reason, you will be referred by your maiden name, Weasley. The custody of James Sirius Potter and Lily Luna Potter will go to their mother, Ginevra Weasley. Mr. Potter will be allowed visitation rights and can have the children occasionally. The custody of Albus Severus Potter goes to his father Harry James Potter. In terms of assets and finances, Ginevra Weasley is not allowed access to any Potter or Black family vaults and neither of the vaults of the children. These are the conditions both parties agreed on, so mote it be." And with that, he banged his gravel and it was over. Harry and Ginevra had to sign the divorce parchment. He signed his name without hesitation and watched dispassionately as Ginevra did with shaking fingers. The parchment was then signed by the judge and their lawyers before being made into a second copy. One would be kept as official court records and the other would be sent to the ministry to be filed.
He wasted no time after that was completed, and left the courtroom with a quick pace, intent on heading home. He felt rather than saw Draco fall in step beside him. The other man was always there it seemed.
"Harry! Harry please!" He heard Ginny's cries as soon as he stepped out the courtroom, he really didn't want to hear her right now. "Harry, I'm sorry about what I did and what I said in there. Don't leave me please. We can start over. I lo-"
"Stop it! Just stop it!" Harry yelled, he was so fed up of her! He ignored the flashing cameras and the sudden silence as he turned to face his ex-wife. "Don't you dare say that! You don't even know the meaning of that word! You are a selfish, conniving, manipulative bitch and I will never forgive you for all that you've done. Just stay away from me." He said viciously. Her eyes were wide with horror but he didn't care.
The noise level rose again as he finished his mini-rant. Reporters were shouting at him, trying to get his attention. He noticed the Weasleys standing off in a corner but he was glad to see they didn't look angry or upset. He gave them a brief nod before turning around to leave, however they were being bombarded by the media. He couldn't take it anymore, without a second thought, he grabbed Draco and apparated. It was only when he reached in front the beautiful doors of the manor did he collapse. Harry didn't reach the floor however because Draco caught him. Still the pillar of strength he had been since they became friends. He held on to the strong arms and just cried. He cried for his failed marriage, he cried for his children who were not even his, he cried for them having to go through all this just because of Ginevra's selfishness, he cried for the pain and suffering he endured but most of all he cried because after all was said and done, he was finally free.

Ginny stood stock still outside the courthouse. Reporters were shouting questions at her, camera flashes were practically blinding her but she couldn't really focus on all that. She was no longer Ginevra Potter. She was a Weasley again. A disgraced Weasley. She couldn't believe it. It was all over, her dream life was destroyed.
Harry's parting words rang loudly in her ears, words said with such hate and viciousness. How had she let it come to this? She had worked so hard to get this far. Her face crumbled, she didn't know how he had done it but she just knew it was because of that blond idiot. She should've stopped the friendship at the beginning but she never thought it would've come to this.
Ginny fell to her knees. She had not missed the way Harry and Malfoy interacted in the courtroom, she had thought her revelation would have made a difference but it didn't. Harry didn't love her, he loved Malfoy. It was always fucking Malfoy. How had the pompous git done it? After all she'd done, how had Draco sodding Malfoy still got Harry? HOW!?
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Better Late Than Never