Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

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
- 3
- 4
- 5
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter and it's associated characters etc. All belongs to J.K Rowling and Warner Bros.
A/N: Here's chapter 4! Hope you guys enjoy this one as well. Thanks again for the reviews. You guys really make me happy with those. XD. And a HUGE thanks to my beta djaddict, all your thoughts and suggestions contribute greatly to the story. :). Oh! All remaining mistakes are mine.
Review Responses:
quietreader: I'm really glad you love it! I was so happy when I got your review. And have no fear. I won't give up on it. Besides, my beta won't let me. *stage whisper* she's a dragon lady. XD. Hope you enjoy this chap! Thanks for the review!
delia cerrano: Soon Ginny will get what's coming to her. And it's funny how many people actually think that about Albus. Heheh. I guess we'll see. ;). Thanks for the review!
steviee: Ahaha! Very soon. ;) Thanks for the review!
goldfish: Hhehe! You know Draco will step in to avenge HIS Harry. ;). Thanks for the review!:)
Right! On with the chap! Enjoy!
All warnings in first chapter.
Memories- 'blah blah blah'
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Harry Potter sat with his family at the table eating breakfast a few days after his second outing with Draco. Just thinking of his name brought a smile to his face. He had seen the way Draco's eyes had lit up when he mentioned they should use first names. He also hadn't missed the way Draco seemed to glow with happiness when Harry actually said his name. Harry was very pleased to see that he was getting to see the real Draco Malfoy. He couldn't wait till the next time he made the masks non-existent. He was confused by the sudden desire in wanting Draco to be more open but he attributed that to the desire for friendship.
As he ate his eggs, he thought about the past few days at the Potter household. The house was filled with tension. He had returned from his outing with Draco with a huge smile on his face that had yet to disappear. His mood had significantly improved. Ginny had been pestering him about his attitude but he just ignored her. He also refused to acknowledge all the suspicious looks she kept throwing his way. He didn't understand why she was being like that but he wasn't going to let it bother him. To him, there was no need to tell her where he went and who he went with.
His children were also looking at him closely. Well, James and Albus were, though they obviously had different feelings behind them. Albus had an inquisitive look, like he was trying to figure out a puzzle but James' was like his mother. Harry always saw him watching him with his eyes narrowed in suspicion. Lily just ignored him.
Harry really couldn't remember the last time he was this happy. He really hoped nothing happened to change that.
"Harry? When are you going back to work?" Ginny's voice broke through his thoughts. He groaned quietly as his brain processed the question.
'There goes my happiness.' He thought morosely.
"Harry?" She inquired again. Her voice held a tad bit of impatience.
He inwardly sighed. He was not looking forward to this conversation.
"Ginny, actually, I really don't think I want to go back to the Auror Corps." Harry said slowly. He withheld a cringe at the sudden silence at the breakfast table. The children were looking at the two of them as if sensing another argument brewing.
"What do you mean Harry?" She asked, her voice sickeningly sweet which Harry knew meant bad news. He cleared his throat before answering.
"Ginny I just don't think it makes sense anymore. It's all paperwork now and frankly, I prefer to stay at home and do my own thing."
"Okay Harry." She simply stated before returning to her breakfast. The children, realising nothing was going to happen, returned to their breakfast as well.
To say Harry was shocked was putting it mildly. Recently, Ginny had been badgering him about everything he did so he had been prepared for a verbal battle. He was relieved, even though he knew it would only be temporary. The conversation was definitely not over. He just hoped he wouldn't explode again whenever it happened.
Everyone finished their breakfast shortly after and left to do whatever they wanted. Harry retreated to his 'safe house'. He planned to stay there as long as he could to stave off the inevitable confrontation with his wife. He knew a lot of patience would be needed. It wasn't too long before Albus joined him and they sat in their usual comfortable silence and read.
HPHPHPHP
It was a few days after Harry had broken the news of his retirement at breakfast. It was July 10th, Scorpius Malfoy's birthday. Harry had just sent off an owl with a birthday present for the eleven year old. He had purchased a book about dragons, one suited to his age. He and Draco had been conversing through letters and Draco had informed him of Scorpius' birthday. He had told Draco to write back and tell him of Scorpius' reaction to his present. He hoped he like it.
Surprisingly, he was still in high spirits. He had managed to avoid any confrontations with Ginny simply by avoiding her completely. Harry knew she was becoming extremely angry with him but he couldn't bring himself to care.
Smiling to himself, he stepped out of his study. However, he didn't make it far because his path was blocked by his wife. Ginny stood in front of him, arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently.
"Are you ready to talk now Harry?" She asked with a slight edge to her voice. Harry could've sworn she was fighting to keep a snarl off her face. He just sighed and sidestepped her and led the way to the living room. He sat down on the armchair next to the fireplace and watched as Ginny sat on the sofa closest to him.
"Where are the children?" He asked when he noticed the silence of the house. He was stalling and he was not ashamed of it.
"I sent them to mum's house. I planned for this conversation to happen today Harry. No matter what." Ginny replied bluntly. Harry just nodded, there really wasn't anything to say to that. They sat there in silence for a few minutes before Harry got annoyed and broke it.
"Look Ginny, I'm in my mid-thirties. I just want time to myself, a break, and I can't do that working in the Auror Corps." He spoke firmly in an attempt to show her that he had already made up his mind.
"I don't understand Harry. Where did all this come from? You can't expect me to believe that, it's just so sudden. Are you sure you are not having that muggle thing Hermione was telling Ron about?"
Harry looked at her in confusion.
"What muggle thing?"
"You know, the mid-wife crisis thing." Ginny responded. Harry could only stare at her. His eyes searched for any sign that she was joking but he saw that she was serious.
"Ohhh. You mean a mid-life crisis." He stated, and he couldn't quite keep the laughter out of his voice. "That's not it Ginny." He quickly added to avoid her ire. "I've actually been thinking about it for a while and just now decided to do something about it."
"But Harry, you love being an Auror!" Ginny exclaimed. Harry cringed at the surety in her voice.
"No Ginny, I don't. Maybe I enjoyed the thrill at first but that died down years ago. Now I'm just tired of it."
"So that's it? What are you going to do now? Stay in your study and do nothing all day?" She asked. Harry chose to ignore the disdain in her voice.
"That's exactly what I'm going to do. When the kids are here I'll take care of them but otherwise it's ME time." He stated plainly. His mind was already made up and envisioning days of relaxation without mounds of paperwork to think about.
Ginny just stared into space. He noticed that she seemed to be in shock.
'Hmm. If I'd have known she would've been speechless, I would've had this conversation ages ago.' He thought to himself. He waited patiently, watching his wife's face. His mind started going crazy when he realised her face seemed to be contorted with some unknown emotion. His eyebrows bunched in confusion.
'What is going on in her head?' He asked himself.
"Ginny? You okay?" He asked, nudging her knee. She jerked in surprise.
"Huh? Oh yes Harry. Sorry about that. I guess I'm just so shocked by all of this but, I um, I respect your decision." She said before getting up and leaving.
Harry stared after Ginny. 'What is wrong with her?'
He watched her walk off in a daze. Her reactions were confusing him. But, he believed sooner or later he would find out the problem. No sense worrying about it now.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Draco smiled as he stood by the fireplace in the family floo-room. He was waiting for his son to come through. A little while later the flames turned green and he watched as his son stepped gracefully out of the fireplace. He barely gave Scorpius time to brush the soot off his robes before he scooped him up into a huge hug.
"Happy birthday son!" He shouted, holding his son tightly. He laughed along with his son as they danced across the floo room. This was what he enjoyed; being himself around those he loved. Hearing his son's boisterous laughter almost made him burst with happiness. He couldn't believe his blonde haired baby was growing so quickly.
Draco let his son down and they straightened their clothing before proceeding to the living room.
"You already had breakfast Scorp?" He asked his son.
"Yes dad." Scorpius replied with a smile on his face. Draco could practically feel the happiness and excitement radiating from his son. He had a great day planned for him.
As they stepped into the living room Scorpius was once again scooped up into a hug. This time by his grandmother. He would always thank whatever gods there were, that his mother was able to see her grandson grow another year older. Though it was noticeable that she had aged, Narcissa still looked beautiful and still stood tall and regal as someone befitting her status should. He loved her so much and he didn't know what he would've done without her. They had been through so much together. He really hoped she would stay with him for a while yet. He wanted her to see him truly happy with his one true love. There was no question as to whether she would accept Harry or not. She was the one who had pushed him to make the truce and she harboured no ill will towards Harry.
"Draco!" His mother's voice broke through his thoughts.
"Yes mother?"
"Glad to have you back with us son." She said with a smile. Draco just ignored her and motioned for them to follow him outside. They were going to apparate to their destination. As they reached the apparition point, he held onto his son and they disappeared with a crack. His mother would follow after them.
A few minutes later they arrived at a Wizarding Quidditch stadium in Germany. Draco had acquired tickets for them in the top box. It was a qualifying match between Germany and Ireland. He smiled as he watched Scorpius' eyes light up in wonder and excitement. No matter how many Quidditch matches they went to, Scorpius always seemed to be in awe. Draco was glad he picked this as his surprise.
"Dad this is amazing!" Scorpius shouted over the noise as they walked into the stadium.
"I know right?" Draco replied with a slight grin.
Scorpius was practically vibrating with suppressed excitement although, Draco knew it would never show outwardly while they were in public. A thought suddenly came to his mind about having Scorpius suppress his feelings but he brushed it off. Scorpius didn't seem to be having any adverse reactions to keeping his masks up in public. Draco assumed it was because his son was able to let go and be himself when around family.
It took a while to get to the top box, they had to walk there since apparition and portkeying within the stadium were forbidden. As soon as they reached the top, they chose the seats up front.
"Oh Scorpius, all your presents are at home so don't forget to open them when we get back." Draco told his son. He had been so eager to reach the stadium that he didn't give his son time to open his gifts. He felt slightly ashamed.
"Don't worry dad. I highly doubt I'll forget them." Scorpius said then added, "I'm glad we were able to get here early." And then smiled at him.
Draco returned the smile, he knew that was his son's way of reassuring him that everything was okay. With a sigh, he settled into his seat, watching as people continued to arrive.
It wasn't long before the game started and the Malfoys were engrossed in it. Well, Draco and Scorpius were, Narcissa was busy chatting with her neighbour. The blonde duo was cheering for Ireland. Draco would never forget or tire of the excitement that he knew his son felt. He had truly picked a great surprise.
DMDMDMDM
"Wow! That was fantastic! For a while there I thought Ireland was going to lose!"
"Ireland? Lose? You wound me with those words Scorpius. I had no fear." Draco said dramatically.
"Yeah right dad! You were practically quaking in your seat!" Scorpius shouted before running away from his father.
"Come back here you little brat!" Draco shouted playfullyafter his son before chasing him down.
They had no qualms about letting their masks down now. It was just the two of them. Draco had apparated them to their manor in France where he had set up a picnic for the both of them on the expansive grounds. His mother had taken off again; she wanted them to have some father-son time. Neither of the other Malfoys objected.
They played around for a while, even having a few one on one Quidditch matches before finally settling on the picnic blanket.
"So Scorp," Draco began, "ready for your first year at Hogwarts?"
"I think I am dad." Scorpius answered, with a huge smile on his face and Draco knew he was being truthful. Of course there would still be nerves and anxiety but that was probably normal for most first years. After all, Hogwarts was a whole new experience. It was a new place with a different environment, not to mention being away from home for the majority of the time, for the first time.
"Um, dad?" Scorpius' questioning voice took him out of his thoughts.
"Yeah?"
"I-I hope you don't mind me asking but um, what is going on with you and Harry Potter? Mom's being going on and on about it since the article."
Draco smiled to show his son he had no problem with him asking.
"Harry and I are friends Scorp. We decided to give it a try and so far it's been going great."
"H-How is he? Besides all that? H-He doesn't really seem happy in the pictures I've seen."
Draco just stared at his son in shock. 'Was it really that obvious?' He thought, before asking his son the same question.
"Not really. I think I see it because we use our masks all the time when we're in public. I guess it's easy to see when others are doing the same thing." Scorpius replied with a shrug.
"Maybe you're right." Draco murmured.
"Hey dad, I um, I hope I get to meet him sometime." Scorpius said shyly.
"Hmmm. That can be arranged Scorp. He wants you to meet his son Albus as well. He is also starting Hogwarts this September."
"Really? When can we meet them dad?" His son inquired eagerly.
"I'll write a letter to Harry tomorrow to see when they are available. What do you think about going to a muggle zoo?"
"A muggle zoo? Yes! That would be a whole new experience!" Scorpius exclaimed, practically bouncing in his excitement. Draco laughed at his son's enthusiasm, already planning his letter to Harry. They ended the conversation there and continued with their picnic.
The evening passed by relatively quickly and soon enough they apparated back to their manor in Britain. As soon as they entered Scorpius made a beeline for the family room where he knew his gifts were. Draco followed behind his son at a more sedate pace and sat in an armchair as Scorpius tore through his presents. A smile bloomed on his face when he saw his son's reaction to Harry's gift. He just knew he would have to hide the book until morning or else Scorpius would stay up reading the entire night.
Almost an hour had passed by with Scorpius completely engrossed in his dragon book. Not even the new broomstick Draco got him could tear him away from it for long. Harry had chosen well.
"Okay birthday boy, time for bed." Draco said, playfully snatching the book from his son.
"Okay dad but tomorrow I have to write a thank you letter to Mr. Potter. That book is amazing!" Scorpius gushed.
Draco just nodded and chuckled softly as Scorpius tried and failed to stifle a yawn. Draco apparated them to his son's room and he helped him change into his nightclothes before tucking him into bed. Even at eleven Scorpius didn't complain. It hurt Draco to know that soon he would as he got older. It was in the rare times like these, he wished he had another child.
'If only there was some way Harry and I could have a child. I have a feeling he would love that.' He thought wistfully.
"Dad?" Scorpius whispered.
"Yeah?" Draco whispered back as he shook off his thoughts.
"Thanks for today. I had a lot of fun."
"No problem son. Go to sleep now."
"'K. Goodnight dad. I love you."
"I love you too Scorpius. Goodnight." Draco said softly, before placing a light kiss on his son's forehead.
He loved his son beyond anything and he was grateful that he had him. He stayed for a few minutes longer before leaving and closing the door softly behind him. He retired to his room directly opposite Scorpius'. He was so tired; he fell in his bed fully clothed and was asleep within minutes.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
It was two weeks after his talk with Ginny and there had been no further discussions about his quitting the Auror Corps. In fact, Ginny seemed to have done a complete personality switch. She was no longer bothering him about inane things. It was truly a relief but at the same time extremely troubling. Something kept nagging at the back of his mind but he couldn't figure out what it was. Every time he tried to focus on it, it seemed to just dance across his mind not allowing him to get a firm grasp of it.
For the past few days she had been pushing for family outings. He loved his family, truly he did, but he didn't think he could go on another family outing. While Ginny seemed to have switched personalities, James' and Lily's were exactly the same, if not worse. Everything had to go their way. Everywhere they went, those two had chosen. Harry had given up even trying to argue. He was getting a headache just thinking about it.
Harry walked into his study and smiled when he saw Albus sitting in one of the armchairs reading. He decided then and there that he would spend time with his son today. It was long overdue.
"Hey Al." He called out to his son. He grinned as his near mirror image turned to look at him.
"Yeah dad?"
"Wanna go out today? I was thinking maybe book shopping in France. Up for it?" Harry asked. He really hoped Albus said yes.
"Sure dad! Let's go!" Albus exclaimed. Harry chuckled softly.
They left the house shortly after and apparated to France's Wizarding district. Harry had left a note informing Ginny where they were in case she worried. A soft voice in his head whispered she wouldn't but, Harry pushed that thought back. Ginny had changed.
They arrived at a bookstore called "Le Coin du Lecteur" and Harry was being pulled through the store. He let out a laugh as he watched Albus move from shelf to shelf, it was like he was overwhelmed by the plethora of choices in front of him. Harry loved this side of his son. There were only a few things that could get his son that excited and books were definitely one of them.
Two hours later they left the bookstore, Harry's pocket considerably lighter and a shrunken bag full of books in Albus'. They visited a few more stores before stopping at a cafe for lunch. Harry requested a private room for the both of them. They both ordered and sat in silence until their waitress returned with their food.
"So Al, how are things going with you?" Harry asked his son as they ate.
"Things are okay dad. How about you? I um, noticed you seem to be in a good mood lately." Albus replied hesitantly.
"I'm great Al. Actually better than I've been in a while. It's been great getting to know Draco and actually spending time with someone outside of the family and work. It's something completely new. I thought the Daily Prophet would have ruined it by blasting it to the world, but fortunately, it didn't."
"I'm glad it didn't. It's good too that you and mom spoke to us about it, not that I'd believe anything that paper writes." Albus said with an impressive scowl on his face. "You two weren't such good friends before right?" He inquired after.
"Yeah. We uh, were pretty hostile towards each other at school but now it's amicable and uh...nice." Harry explained. He hoped Al would understand.
"If it isn't stressing you out then I think it's great dad. At least you guys aren't fighting anymore. Years have passed after all." Albus said with a shrug. Harry smiled. It seemed his son was more mature than his wife.
"Anyway, um...we wanted you and Scorpius, his son, to get to know each other. So um, we were planning an outing for the four of us. Draco is going to send a letter with the details after he speaks to Scorpius. What do you say?" Harry asked just a tad bit nervously. He really wanted Albus to say yes, he wanted Albus to get along with Scorpius and Draco.
"Sure dad. It should be fun." Albus replied after a while. Harry thought he was never going to reply. "You know dad?" Albus continued, "I'm glad you're feeling better. It was-it was hard seeing you like that, so depressed. So yeah...I'm-I'm glad you guys are friends."
Harry couldn't help the blush that crept up his face. To think that spending time with Draco had brought such a change in him. It hurt though, that he had been worrying his son. He vowed that he would try harder to not descend into such a dark place again.
"I'm glad too Albus. I'm sorry about how I've been. I'll try hard so it won't happen again." He reassured his son.
They ate and talked for the rest of the meal. After a while they left and walked around for a bit more before heading home. When they returned home neither Ginny nor the other kids were at home. Harry really didn't mind.
"Thanks for the books and everything dad." Albus told him before hugging him.
"Anytime son" Harry replied, giving his son a tight hug in return. Albus went to his room and Harry retired to his study.
He sat in his armchair nursing a glass of Firewhiskey. He couldn't help thinking about what Albus told him.
'Is it really that obvious?' He thought to himself. He couldn't deny it though. He loved the two times he spent with Draco. He felt relaxed and there had been no tension or pressure to be anyone or anything but himself. With everyone else he had to pretend to be happy and satisfied with life. They were still getting to know each other and Harry couldn't wait to find out more about Draco. He was extremely glad they were giving their friendship a chance.
Thinking about Draco also brought forward the confusing feelings he had been experiencing. The joy he felt when he managed to see the real Draco behind his ever present public mask was amazing. His constant 'Draco watching' was unnerving as well. He didn't understand why he was always admiring the blond man.
'Am I gay?' The thought immediately jumped into his head. He froze in shock. 'Where did that come from?'
He had never questioned his sexuality before, but then again, he never had reason to. At least he didn't think so. His sexual thoughts were all about Ginny. Come to think of it, it had been all about Ginny since right after the war! Harry tugged on his hair as he tried to remember how he was before their marriage. As he thought, memories came unbidden to his mind. Memories of following Draco, admiring how he dressed and his refined look. Even memories of admiring Zabini came to his mind. Harry almost whimpered in frustration.
"No...this isn't right. It isn't right!" He muttered, gripping his hair tighter. He cringed when more memories came forward. The more he tried to push them away, the faster they came.
Eventually he gave up and just let them overwhelm him.
'Harry quickly hid behind a wall as Malfoy turned around. He really hoped Malfoy hadn't seen him. He had been following the blonde since the term started. His friends believed it was solely to see what Malfoy was up to but that wasn't it completely. Harry had realised he had been watching the Slytherin Ice Prince a lot lately, and not in a platonic manner either. He was always admiring his aristocratic features and the way his tailored clothes fit him perfectly. He had found himself wishing he could see the person behind the mask.
A movement caught his eye and he saw the other Sixth Year turn a corner up ahead.
"Shit!" He whispered. He was so caught up in his day dreaming, he forgot he was following Malfoy. Discreetly, he continued following the blond. A blush crept up his face as his eyes lowered to Malfoy's arse. Malfoy was so graceful and unbelievably sexy. He couldn't understand how anyone could be so perfect.
He had to hide behind a wall again to gather his wits. If he continued the way he currently was, his drooling would definitely get him caught.
'Get a grip Harry!' He chided himself before getting up from behind the wall to continue his stalking...er...following.
As his mind reeled from his first memory another popped up.
'Harry glanced behind him. His heart almost stopped when he noticed Draco was trapped. There was no way he could leave him there. He ignored Ron's comments and turned around to save his secret crush.
After he had grabbed Malfoy it was hard to concentrate on getting out of the burning room. Malfoy was gripping onto him pretty tightly and the hot breath on his neck wasn't helping either. He tried to focus on the extreme heat and the fiendfyre in an attempt to keep from focusing on the way Malfoy's body felt pressed against his.
He couldn't believe he was thinking about all that at a time like this but he couldn't help it. His heart was beating faster than normal and it wasn't from fear alone. His breath hitched slightly when Malfoy gave a particularly tight squeeze. They were almost singed by the rapidly growing fire. He had to concentrate! He pushed harder on his broom.
The relief he felt when they finally got out almost made him collapse. It brought everything back into perspective though. He had a war to finish. As he looked over at Malfoy he hoped he could come out of it alive and hopefully have a chance with the Malfoy heir. Even if it was a one in a million chance. He would wait.'
Harry curled in on himself in the armchair. His mind was flitting fron memory to memory of watching and admiring Draco. At first he couldn't believe he had suppressed all those memories for so many years but the more he thought about it, the more he understood. He had never really gotten the chance to explore his sexuality. He had gotten back together with Ginny after she approached him for another chance.
'I think I'm bisexual.' He thought morosely. He didn't know how he was going to handle this new information. Especially with his feelings towards Draco.
"I can't think about this right now." He muttered to the empty room. It was too late anyway. He was married and he loved is wife...right?
Uncurling himself from the chair, he downed the glass of Firewhiskey and poured himself another. He really needed to talk to someone. He gulped down the next glass of Firewhiskey and just sat in his chair staring into space. He would stay there until he settled his thoughts.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Ginny sat on her bed thinking. It was two weeks after the 'Auror conversation' and she felt like she was going insane. It was hard to pretend that Harry's change of mind didn't bother her but she had done it. When Harry had been so adamant in quitting she had been shocked into silence. She never saw it coming.
At that time, her thoughts were going into overdrive. All her plans were being dismantled right before her eyes. Her ideal life was becoming less and less ideal. Harry was supposed to be her Auror husband! The man that everybody envied her for having.
Her fear of Harry gaining the courage to divorce her was weighing on her heavily. She refused to believe that the change in his attitude and behaviour was due to Malfoy. She would not believe that!
Over the past two weeks she had been pushing for the family to spend more time together. She hoped that Harry would notice and believe that she was trying to improve their relationship.
The arguments were getting to her, everything was crumbling around her and every time she tried to build it back up something happened to send it crumbling again.
She knew. She knew Harry went on another outing with the blonde ferret. There was nothing she could do to changethat and it irked her.
'I need a break!' She thought frantically.
Making a split decision, she got up and gathered James and Lily. She knew Albus would want to stay with his father so didn't bother with him. She flooed to the Burrow not bothering to leave a note for Harry. If he wasn't living in his study, he would know.
She left the children with her mother, telling her she was going to visit an old friend. She left her childhood home in a lighter mood. By tonight she would be in more control of her emotions. Smiling, she apparated to a beautiful house somewhere in Wales. She confidently walked up to the front door and knocked. The smile that greeted her when the door opened made her heart flutter. It had been too long.
"Hi..."
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Better Late Than Never