Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

19 Years and 5 Minutes Later	By : TheMightyFlynn Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 58417 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 6
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any characters related to that series; they are JK Rowling's. I make no money from this.

Chapter List
- 1-19 Years and 5 Minutes Later
- 2-Ch. 2
- 3-Ch. 3
- 4-Ch. 4
- 5-Ch. 5
- 6-Ch. 6
- 7-Ch. 7
- 8-Ch. 8
- 9-Ch. 9
- 10-Ch. 10
- 11-Ch. 11
- 12-Ch. 12
- 13-Ch. 13
- 14-Ch. 14
- 15-Ch. 15
- 16-Ch. 16
- 17-Ch. 17
- 18-Ch. 18
- 19-Ch. 19
- 20-Ch. 20
- 21-Ch. 21
- 22-Ch. 22
- 23-Ch. 23
- 24-Ch. 24
- 25-Ch. 25
- 26-Ch. 26
- 27-Ch. 27
- 28-Ch. 28
- 29-Ch. 29
- 30-Ch. 30
- 31-Ch. 31
- 32-Ch. 32
- 33-Ch. 33
- 34-Ch. 34
- 35-Ch. 35
- 36-Ch. 36
- 37-Ch. 37
- 38-Ch. 38
- 39-Ch. 39
- 40-Ch. 40
- 41-Ch. 41
- 42-Ch. 42
- 43-Ch. 43
- 44-Ch. 44
- 45-Ch. 45
- 46-Ch. 46
- 47-Ch. 47
- 48-Ch. 48
- 49-Ch. 49
- 50-Ch. 50
- 51-Epilogue
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In all of his thirty seven years, Harry was damn sure that there had only been a handful of times that he had been truly scared. There had been his childish fears brought on by an uncaring Aunt and Uncle when he was a boy; there had been his very real fears for the lives of his loved ones in each of the battles he had fought; and there had been the fear that he would be an utter failure as a parent. His current dread was different to all the others, though. Buried deep beneath his outward show of courage in front of his kids was the fear that Ginny would win and take everything he had worked so hard for away from him. Shaking the worrying thoughts from his mind, Harry refocussed on what was directly in front of him as the elevator clanged to a stop.
“Alright kids, down the hallway and to the left; your Mum should be waiting inside that room with her lawyer.”
He watched as the three of them made their way down the hall towards the small room they had met their Mother in on the first two days of the trial. If the day went as smoothly as Harry was desperately hoping it would, then this would be the last day his kids had to be down at the tenth level of the Ministry. It would also be the last day they would see their Mother as a free woman for what was looking to be a very long time. Stopping and watching Al enter the room after his siblings, Harry’s emotions warred against each other. On the one hand, he needed for Ginny to be put away for the rest of her natural life, for his own mental health, if nothing else. But on the other… He shook his head. This was the woman he had spent the past nineteen years of his life with; the mother of his children. He couldn’t help wondering how he could be so heartless as to want something like that to happen to her. Harry jumped when a warm hand landed on the small of his back.
“They’ll be fine.”
Draco managed to surprise Harry by not moving away when he turned and pulled him into a soft kiss. Knowing that Draco was so comfortable with him in public sent warm shivers through Harry’s stomach and he smiled as he pulled back. The corners of Draco's lips quirked upwards but his eyes flicked off behind Harry, obviously checking to see whether they were truly alone.
“It’s not them I’m worried about.”
Draco's eyes snapped back to Harry, pinning him with a concerned look. “You don’t think she would try something here do you? Surely not to the kids at least; not even she’s that cold-hearted.”
“No, I–” Harry sighed and stepped away from Draco, giving him the space he usually required in public. “With James’ breakdown last night and Lily’s a few weeks ago… It just plays on my mind, I guess. How’s Scorpius taking it all?”
Draco's eyebrows knit as he pondered Harry’s question, causing Harry’s fingers to twitch with the need to smooth the creases the movement caused over. He resisted, however, knowing that Draco was probably not ready to display that level of intimacy in public. The fact that he had relaxed enough to allow Harry to kiss him when they were alone in public was more than enough for the moment. He smiled as Draco's eyes grew unfocussed and a small smile tilted the corners of his lips, as though he were remembering something amusing.
“The only time he ever had doubts or concerns was right after the incident at the Ball. He was surprised that I was still with you when he came to visit in the hospital, but that seems to have died down. He has known for many years that Astoria and I aren’t – sorry, weren’t – properly married in the true sense of the word and that this could happen one day. Although, I believe the fact that he and Albus seem to get along quite well has helped with the adjustment a bit as well.” Draco's eyes refocussed as they slid over in Harry’s direction. “He also seems to believe James a worthy opponent for him on the Quidditch pitch.”
Harry grinned. “Leaving poor old Dad in the dust?”
The wide, unguarded smile that lit Draco's face in response was so unexpected that Harry’s breath left him in a rush. He stared dumbly for a few seconds before stepping forward and drawing Draco into another quick kiss.
“You’d better watch who you’re calling old, Potter.”
Draco was still smiling at him as he pulled back. Harry ran his thumb across Draco's bottom lip, his eyes following the gesture. His chest swirling with a mix of confusing emotions, the thought that it should be illegal for a man to have this kind of effect on him drifted vaguely across Harry’s mind. Needing to distract himself from that line of thought, he narrowed his eyes as he met Draco's.
“Why are you so confident this morning?”
If possible, it seemed as though Draco's smile brightened a little before he turned his head to nip lightly at the palm of the hand Harry still held up. Harry’s eyes followed the motion again, his heart skipping a couple of beats as his chest tightened with need. He had no idea if he made a sound, but something must have grabbed Draco's attention, as his eyes flicked back over Harry’s shoulder before meeting his again. He took a small step, coming close enough so Harry could make out the tiny flecks of blue in his eyes.
“After today, you’re free.”
It was such a simple sentence, but Draco's tone gave it a much deeper meaning, making it sound like the most important thing in the world. Combined with Draco's wide smile, it sent Harry’s mind completely blank. Unable to express everything running through him, Harry drew Draco into another kiss instead. It only lasted a few seconds, however, as the clang of the elevator dragged him rudely back to reality. It also caused Draco's public mask to drop over his features so suddenly it was like a light had been switched off behind his eyes. Biting back the vicious disappointment at the loss, Harry took a deep breath and stepped backwards, hoping to clear his mind.
“Harry?”
Shock replaced the disappointment as Harry recognised Teddy Lupin’s voice. He stepped around Draco to see Teddy smiling uncertainly at him. The uncertainty left him in the matter of a few seconds, though, when Harry grinned. Striding forward, Teddy pulled Harry into a bear hug, almost lifting him off the ground. Like Remus before him, Teddy had a good three inches on Harry in height, but that was where the similarities to his Father ended. Teddy had inherited his Mother’s Metamorphmagus abilities, meaning Harry rarely got to see his natural face but, stepping back from the embrace, he knew that this was probably about as close as he was going to get. Teddy’s hair was mousey brown with pitch black tips, his eyes a bright blue and his features so close to how Harry remembered seeing Tonks that his chest contracted with the memory.
“It’s so good to see you, Teddy.”
Instead of responding, Teddy’s eyes flicked over behind Harry, a hesitant look crossing his face. Harry turned to see Draco watching Teddy just as unsurely, causing realisation to dawn in the back of Harry’s mind. Reaching out, he grasped Draco's hand and pulled him forward.
“Draco, this is Teddy, my Godson.” He was almost completely certain that the two of them had never met, despite being related. “Teddy, this is Draco.”
“You’re…” Teddy hesitated, glancing back to Harry.
“Your second cousin.” Draco held the hand that Harry didn’t have hold of out so Teddy could shake it. “Through my Mother.”
A tightness in his chest told Harry he was holding his breath and he let it out in a whoosh. Draco shot him a look that Harry could only interpret as amused before Teddy spoke again.
“Narcissa, right? My Gran has spoken to me about her and Bellatrix a few times; how close they all were when they were kids. I think she misses what they had.”
The feeling that he had let that breath go a moment too soon crossed through Harry as he felt Draco stiffen beside him. Slipping his hand out of Draco's and onto the small of his back unfortunately did nothing to lighten the moment and Harry was beginning to worry that Teddy had accidentally slipped up. It seemed that Teddy was starting to think so as well, as he slid confused eyes to Harry after a few seconds of silence. The clang of the elevator broke the tension, however. Garrett Richardson stepped out and locked onto Harry straight away.
“Ah, just the men I wanted to see.”
Harry watched as Draco blinked and glanced over to Richardson before turning a small smile onto Teddy. “Perhaps we could do something to remedy that in the future.”
The huge, relieved smile Teddy offered up sent relief through Harry as well. Draco met Harry’s eyes and, with a small nod of his head, followed Richardson into the courtroom. Turning back to Teddy, Harry grinned.
“Why do you always go for the scary ones?”
Realising Teddy was being facetious, Harry could hear the relief in the laughter that spilled from him. “Not all of us are lucky enough to find ourselves a part-Veela, Ted.” Harry’s laughter increased when Teddy ducked his head to try to hide the blush that stained his cheeks. Placing a hand on Teddy’s shoulder, Harry directed him towards the room the kids had entered earlier. “The children are in here with their terrifying Mother, if you want to see her before the trial. If not, it’s completely understandable and you can wait out here for the Weasleys to arrive.”
Teddy’s hair turned fully black as he ran a hand through it. “You say that like Vic’s Dad is the least frightening option of the two.”
Shaking his head as he bid Teddy farewell for the time being, Harry realised that between the two of them, Teddy and Draco had managed to relieve him of his nerves completely. Making his way slowly towards the courtroom, he enjoyed the feeling of relaxation that had come over him, knowing that it wouldn’t last very long. Sure enough, by the time he reached the doorway, his nerves had begun to return. Taking a deep breath, he crossed into the courtroom, preparing himself mentally as much as possible for what was to come that day.
*~*
It had been a long time since someone had accidentally triggered memories of the War for Draco and he figured it was just his luck that the person to do it would be Harry’s Godson. Teddy’s mention of Bellatrix had taken Draco aback and he had frozen in the attempt to not let the memories overwhelm him. He gave himself another mental shake as he followed Richardson into the courtroom.
“Well, here we are, young Mr. Malfoy,” Richardson began as they stopped in front of the chained chair Ginevra would be sitting in. “Everything will be decided today, for better or worse.”
Draco glanced once back to the doorway to see if Harry was following them yet before responding. “I honestly don’t think I have been this nervous about a trial result since my own.”
“I am rather confident that most of the charges will stick, Mr. Malfoy. I believe that Ginevra Potter will be spending most of the rest of her life behind bars of some kind, even if they are in a mental institution.”
“‘Rather confident’ isn’t a guarantee, though.”
Richardson sighed. “No, no it isn’t. I never deal in absolutes and there is always the chance that the Wizengamot members will side with her out of sympathy and that the only positive result to come out of today will be Mr. Potter’s divorce.”
“That’s a comforting thought.” Draco spun at the sound of Harry’s voice behind him. “We’ll get her, though. There’s incontrovertible evidence against her for a number of the charges, so some of them will stick if the Wizengamot takes the case on evidence rather than emotion.”
Without even thinking about it, Draco reached to wrap an arm around Harry’s waist as he came to stand beside him. His heartrate kicked up a few notches when Harry smiled at him, but he couldn’t tell if it was from desire, nerves, or a combination of both. He didn’t get a chance to examine the feeling, however, as Edwards and Ginevra entered the room at that moment.
Draco's muscles tightened as Edwards’ eyes immediately locked onto the arm Draco had around Harry’s waist. A calculating look entered his eyes before they moved up to meet Draco's.
“I’m afraid I have to ask you gentlemen to remove yourselves. My client is required to be in her seat before the Chief Warlock enters the room.” The words were accompanied by a sneer that set Draco's teeth on edge. “Much obliged.”
Clenching his jaw, Draco's free hand slipped down to the holster he kept his wand in before Harry stepped in front of him. The anger flowing through him stopped building and merely seemed to bubble just beneath the surface of his mind as Harry pushed him backwards a few steps.
“He’s not worth it.”
Draco was unsure if he believed Harry at that point, but allowed himself to be removed from the situation before it could escalate. Edwards smirked at him one last time before Draco turned to climb the steps to their assigned seats and Draco had to swallow down the desperate need to hex him into a tiny pool of goo. Taking his seat, he glanced back down to where Edwards stood, watching the chains wrap around Ginevra’s wrists and ankles. The look Edwards shot him in response confirmed Draco's theory that he had been aiming to unnerve him during his testimony: the calculating look made it look like Edwards was still trying to work out ways to set him off. Draco cast his eyes down in an attempt to get his emotions back under control, staring at the tops of his boots. The thought that he would love to get away with casting even a minor jinx crossed Draco's mind before he felt Harry’s hand ghosting across the small of his back.
“The idea of conjugal visits isn’t appealing in the least, you know.”
Huffing out an amused sound, Draco glanced over to see Harry grinning at him. “That’s the risk you run when you choose to be with a criminal, Potter, or didn’t you realise?”
A look of complete shock crossed Harry’s face but before he could answer, the room began to really fill up with Wizengamot members. The Chief Warlock entered the room with a sweep of robes that Draco thought was a little overly dramatic for the situation, but he kept his mouth shut. The concerned look Harry shot him as he sat back in his chair properly had Draco frowning, but he knew there was nothing he could do about it until the court broke for a recess. He reached to squeeze Harry’s fingers briefly instead before the room fell silent.
“I call this trial of the 1^st of November, 2017 to order. We have heard to testimonies of the prosecution. Barrister Edwards, you have first witness today.”
Edwards stood from his seat and straightened his robes. Draco could have sworn that his eyes flickered up to meet his for a brief second, but that could have just been his own intense dislike of the man giving him yet another excuse to not like him. Stepping out into the middle of the floor, Edwards faced the Wizengamot and offered them a soft smile that had Draco's insides squirming with disgust.
“I would like to call Ginevra Potter to the stand.”
The chained chair clanked, not releasing the Weaselette, but moving so that she was in a standing position with the chains still holding her to the chair. Edwards turned to face her and Draco could see the soft expression he was offering. It was a huge difference to the hardness he had showed every other witness and caused Draco to wonder if Ginevra wasn’t the only one who could claim innocence based off mental impairment.
“Mrs. Potter.” Edwards’ eyes definitely flicked up in Draco's direction for a second this time and Draco's jaw clenched in response. “You were married to Mr. Potter for sixteen years, is that correct?”
“Yes.” Ginevra’s voice was soft, almost pleading, and Draco's stomach squirmed again. “We got back together after the War ended and married after three years together.”
“You loved Mr. Potter deeply, then?”
“I did.” Ginevra glanced up towards where Draco and Harry sat. “I still do, very much so.”
The disgust swirling in Draco's stomach showed itself in the curl of his top lip and he looked away, unable to look at the pretend adoration in Ginevra’s eyes. The movement brought Harry back into Draco's line of sight and he caught the edge of a look of disbelief and revulsion fading from Harry’s face as he crossed his arms across his chest.
“Did Mr. Potter ever give any indication that he returned your feelings?”
Silently, Ginevra shook her head and Draco could have sworn that he saw a tear running down her cheek. “I loved him, so I thought maybe he would come around. He was the one who proposed to me and I was so happy that I accepted straightaway. I never received any indication that he loved me back, however. Not even when I told him I had fallen pregnant.”
There was a definite thickness to her voice that told Draco she was crying. It was a cheap trick designed to tug at the heartstrings of the Wizengamot members and he could only hope desperately that it wouldn’t work.
“Your eldest son is twelve years old this year, isn’t that right?” Ginevra nodded silently again. “It took you four years to conceive?”
“It took me four years to make him interested in me enough to want to get me pregnant! He showed absolutely no interest in me except for when I suggested trying to conceive. I did nothing but love him for seven years and all he wanted to use me for was as a baby making machine.”
She trailed off as her voice broke. Draco sat, his jaw clenched in anger, and watched as Edwards asked for permission to release one of her arms so she could wipe the tears from her face. It hadn’t occurred to him that they would try to defame Harry in this way, making him out to be villain in the story. A quick look over at Harry showed him sitting stiffly in his chair, his eyes locked on Ginevra in the centre of the room. His breathing was obviously controlled, but Draco had no idea how to calm him down without drawing attention to themselves. He cast his eyes around the room as Ginevra handed Edwards his handkerchief back and saw that most, if not all, of the eyes in the room were on her, not them. Running a hand down Harry’s back got his attention and he turned to meet Draco's eyes.
“No one who truly knows you would ever believe her.”
The words were quiet, but he knew Harry had heard them as he gave a short nod before turning back to the scene in front of them. Draco took a deep breath before also returning his attention to Ginevra and Edwards.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Edwards, but it’s just so…” She shook her head, a helpless look crossing her face. “All I wanted from the man I loved so desperately was any small indication that he cared for me, but all I got in return were demands for children. There was no emotional support for me other than from my family, but that isn’t the same thing at all.”
Edwards made a show of drying his handkerchief, then using it to wipe what Draco suspected were very fake tears from his own eyes. “My apologies, Mrs. Potter. May I ask if you went in search of the emotional support you required elsewhere?”
“I – I had male friends I went to, yes. It was nice to know that there was someone out there who wanted me around when my own husband was so cold towards me.”
Edwards nodded and began to pace slowly in front of her chair. “What was your reaction when Mr. Potter informed you that he had been cheating on you with another man? Mr. Malfoy, to be exact?”
“I was in complete shock. To be honest, I don’t really remember exactly what happened or what was said. It was almost like I blacked out: I can’t remember that night clearly at all.”
Draco sucked in a breath. So this was how they intended to try for mental impairment: by claiming that she was suffering from blackouts and therefore hadn’t been in control of her actions. Leaning forward in his chair, Draco watched intently as Edwards continued.
“Do you recall going to Hogwarts and informing your sons that you and Mr. Potter were getting a divorce?”
“No, I don’t. I remember Harry yelling at me that I had told the boys that he was never going to see them again. That was the same day he accused me of attempting to abandon Lily.”
She paused to wipe her eyes again and Draco took the opportunity to glance along the stands that held the Wizengamot. Some of them were looking on with sympathetic looks, but many of them were simply watching the theatrics. It was difficult to work out if Ginevra’s acting was having an effect on them and Draco chose to take that as a good sign. Surely if they were thinking that she deserved the sympathy she was trying for, then he would be able to tell, right?
“I need to move forward a bit now.” Edwards’ voice was soft and syrupy, sending revulsion through Draco yet again. “The night of the Ministry Annual Ball. What do you remember?”
Ginevra shook her head. “Not a lot. My memory of that night is in patches.”
“Could you tell us what you do remember?”
“I got dressed for the night as I normally would. I was to meet a friend beforehand, so I was a few hours earlier than I usually would be. After meeting with him, I retrieved my handbag and Apparated to the ballroom. From there on in is where it gets patchy. I have flashes of being backstage and then a lot of fear. I remember being restrained by at least two people and screaming for them to release me. I didn’t know what had happened and I was so scared that maybe something had happened to Harry, but I had no idea what. Then – then…” She trailed off as her voice broke again. She didn’t bother trying to clear her throat or wipe the tears from her face this time, so her voice was croaky as she continued. “Then Harry was before me and there was so much hatred in his face. He was already living with Malfoy by that time and there was nothing I could do to get him back. My own husband didn’t want me anymore – never had – and I…” This time when she stopped, it was to sob into her hand. Edwards stepped up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, rubbing gently until she got more control over herself. “All I wanted was my husband and family back. I wanted him to love me as much as I love him, but they took me away and threw me into a cell, claiming that I had attacked someone and tried to dose Harry with a homemade love potion. I – I don’t remember doing any of that, I swear. I swear! I was so scared and when I asked questions, all I got in response were glares and told that I was going to go to Azkaban for the rest of my life. I – I ‘m sorry, I can’t…”
She didn’t speak again after trailing off this time. Edwards spent some time speaking softly to her before the Chief Warlock spoke up.
“If that is all, Barrister Edwards, then perhaps you should take your client into the waiting room to calm herself down.”
Edwards turned slowly to face the Wizengamot. “Thank you, Chief Warlock, for your understanding. Mrs. Potter has been through a rather traumatic experience and reliving it like this cannot be easy on her. I would ask that you all remember this when proclaiming your sentence at the end of the day. Thank you.”
With that, he waved his wand, releasing the chains that bound Ginevra to the chair. He wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her through the door that led to the small waiting room Harry and Draco had made use of the past two days.
“The court shall break for a half hour recess.”
Draco's eyes snapped to Harry as he stood and strode out of the room before anyone else. Uncaring that the press and anyone else who cared to was watching him, Draco stood and made his way out of the courtroom at a much calmer pace. The hall outside the court was filling up as he exited, but he knew that there were only two options for where Harry could have gone out here. Taking a chance on the abandoned room they had used before, Draco pushed the door open carefully.
“Blackouts?” Harry paced along the far wall, his hands clenched by his side. “She expects me to believe that she loves me? That all she wanted was for us to be a family?”
A wild swipe of his hand sent a small stool flying into the wall. Draco closed, locked and Silenced the door before stepping further into the room.
“Harry–”
“Don’t tell me to calm down.”
Draco raised his hands in a placating gesture. “I wasn’t going to.”
“What then?” Harry spun to face him, his eyes wild. “You’ve been sent in here to tell me how heartless I am? That by dating a criminal I’m dooming myself to a life of anger and misery?”
With a sneer, Harry turned back to his pacing. Draco's mind raced, trying to come up with a reason Harry seemed to have locked onto the flippant comment he had made earlier. When he came up blank, he stepped in front of Harry, choosing to confront him directly.
“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”
It was easy for Draco to see the turmoil in Harry’s eyes in the few seconds he simply stood and stared at him. It didn’t last long, however, as Harry moved to drag Draco into a tight embrace. Draco automatically stroked a hand down Harry’s back in an attempt to soothe him.
“How are we going to counter this? Blackouts are something we can’t disprove.”
Draco was silent for a while, his mind racing again. “We can’t disprove them, no. But that part isn’t up to us. The prison has a mind Healer; all of them do. Ginevra has been in that prison for almost three full weeks now, so there’s every chance that they have had all kinds of Healers in with her and have had all kinds of tests run. Richardson will know more than we do about what’s going to happen; maybe we should go back in and ask him?”
A small huff of breath was all the response Harry gave before pulling back far enough so their eyes met. “Forever the sensible one, huh?”
Draco grinned as he ran a thumb along Harry’s bottom lip. “Someone has to balance you out, Potter.”
He got a quick glance at the wide smile Harry responded with before he was dragged into a harsh kiss. Sliding his tongue into the heat of Harry’s mouth, Draco had to acknowledge that his words had been correct: they balanced each other out damn-near perfectly.
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19 Years and 5 Minutes Later