Secrets

Chapter 5: The Debrief

A/N I love the above image, unfortunately I don't know who the artist is to credit them but I think it's incredible.

Harry knocked on Minerva's door but before he had a chance to push the door open, Draco stepped backwards.

'What's the matter?' Harry said.

'I shouldn't be here. They're going to fucking lynch me.'

'I'd like to see them try,' said Harry in a threatening voice that surprised even himself. 'Dray...' he stepped close, their foreheads practically touching, fingers interlocked between them. 'I'm sorry I dragged you in but you're part of this now, you're part of my life. Give them a chance. And that goes for them too, they need to give you a chance too. It might take a bit of time but they will start to see what I can see. And I see the most wonderful, beautiful man who is an absolute blessing to have in my life.'

Draco shook his head. 'You're ridiculous.'

'I try my best,' Harry smiled. 'Ready?'

He heard Draco take a deep shaky breath and watched him nod his head. Although that stoic mask slipped back into place, Harry could still see the fear in Draco's liquid silver eyes and he wanted to keep hold of his hand, to keep reassuring him but he knew he had to step away.

He turned and pushed open the door to Minerva's private office, that is, the second office with blank walls and not a single portrait of a previous Headmaster or Headmistress to be seen because Minerva didn't trust anyone, dead or alive. Ron, Mione, and Kingsley were already there. Draco followed him, with his head bowed and not making eye contact with anyone in the room, not even Harry.

'Harry, Draco,' said Minerva, a slight smile playing at her thin lips. 'I assume you've had your follow-up check-ups with Poppy.'

'Yep, all good,' he said, throwing himself down into a chair. He watched Draco sit nervously on the edge of the chair next to him and felt sadness burning deep inside. He wanted his friend back and he wanted the others to met that Draco too. He recognised the shyness he'd seen in the eleven-year-old Draco was becoming overwhelming because Draco didn't know how to behave in front of this group of people, he certainly couldn't be the haughty, sneering boy of several years ago.

'What's he doing here?' said Ron, suspiciously, his eyes narrowed as he looked at Draco.

'I invited Draco along too, seeing as I dragged him into this,' Harry said simply.

'You're both still in your dirty uniforms,' scolded Mione.

'Mhem,' said Harry happily because he really didn't care and he actually thought Draco looked incredibly attractive all mussed up and muddy. Mind you, he thought that perhaps Draco would also look incredibly attractive in some fancy robes, or jeans and a t-shirt, or in a cuddly jumper... or naked...

'Where have you been?' continued Mione.

Harry held up his hand to stop her onslaught. 'Jeez, Mione, all in good time. Have they all left for certain?'

'Yes.'

'And Healer McAvoy?'

'Suspended,' rumbled Kingsley's deep voice. He was stood near the window and when he turned to face Harry and the others, he looked furious. 'I have uncovered that the idea for all this came from someone amongst the Unspeakables. There are rumours in the Ministry; about your death. They want to find out if it's true and see if there are links to immortality, regeneration, and all sorts of investigations bordering on Dark Magic. I suspect you guessed that from the questions they asked on the assessment sheet. The Department has been temporarily closed pending an investigation. The problem is the dissemination of the rumours, it is impossible to trace how far information has spread, whether it is true or not.'