Happily Ever After I'm Dead

Chapter 3

Draco watched Harry as he easily broke the fight up. Up until the last two men were left, he hadn't paid any attention as to what they were shouting about. He wasn't sure he wanted to know, either. Nonetheless, that didn't stop his ears from catching the sound waves leaving the throats of the fighters and his brain for registering the meaning of what they were saying.

He shuddered as he realized that Harry Potter was someone in great power at the Ministry of Magic.

He watched the last two run off and stared at the brunet man in front of him. He still hadn't turned around to face him and he wondered if he was ever going to get to touch those broad shoulders.

Wait.

Broad shoulders? He was insane. The only thing that could make Draco Malfoy like another man was...well nothing. He refused to date girls because they didn't do anything for him and awkward situations like that were best avoided. But he would NEVER let himself feel that way towards another guy. No way in hell.

So it was those thoughts that were interrupted by Draco taking notice of the Savior of the World looking at him almost as thought he was made of glass. After a moment of silence between the two, Draco decided that enough was enough.

"So...back to your office then?" He turned and got down as far as the first two turns when he realized he didn't remember how to get there. He heard a soft laugh, so soft he wasn't even sure he actually heard anything.

"Close. Take another right, and I'm at the end of the hall." Draco mentally slapped his forehead for being so stupid. He led the way and let Harry enter the large office before shutting the outside world out. Harry sighed and filled out a sheet of parchment and sent it zooming out the window before leaning back on his chair. He motioned to the chair across his desk while putting his feet up on the dark mahogany wood.

"Draco, I'm assuming you signed up for desk work, am I wrong?" He shook his head, wondering where this was going. "Sorry to have to inform you...I don't play well with others, as you probably noticed." He nodded. "So my boss wants me to go around catching all these people. I have some good contacts and I'm an excellent tracker. This is fine with me. However, the paperwork is overwhelming.

"I'm assuming that they made you go through a few testing situations?" Draco nodded, remembering the ridiculous situations he was put on before they would even take his resume. "Well good.

"As you probably don't know this, I'll just tell you everything. Our paperwork documents everything from every situation we find ourselves in. Since it wouldn't do to have me recount the information to you, my boss wants someone with me. Just like with other teams, it would make it more...professional if you were to go with. Not to fight, although you do have to be trained somewhat before you can come with, but so you can document information and lend memories as necessary."

"Um that's all fine and dandy but couldn't you do that? Provide memories, I mean." Draco watched the other man's face turn thoughtful and slightly dark.

"I could and I did for a little while. But my memories were so distorted, so clouded by instinct, pretty soon no one could make heads or tails of my memories, rendering them useless. I've simply been through too much to give accurate memories about any interrogations and fights. They make sense to only those who have fought to live, not to do their job. They won't hold up in court. And that's always what I get landed with. I know I can't help what missions I get, but it would be nice to just not worry about getting a menial task because I can't provide a decent memory."

"That's where I come in, isn't it? To provide documentation and to file said documentation? Not that I'm adverse to that..." Draco trailed off. He really wasn't adverse to the idea, he rather enjoyed watching Harry fight. He went at it with more passion than anyone he'd ever seen. Plus, he came up with some useful spells on the spot. He could learn from that, just like he used to do back in school.

"Yes, that's the general idea. Personally, I think everyone wants someone there to back me up in case something happened. The only problem with getting someone to be my partner that already works here is that I've worked up something of a reputation that people don't care for. They're afraid of me, which suits me just fine."

"That's not surprising. You usually like to work alone. In school you used to work alone. Practice alone. Eat alone. Metaphorically I mean. You never participated in conversations during meals." Draco noticed the surprised look on the brunet's face. "I used to watch you a lot..." The last admission was made very softly. So softly, in fact, that even Draco had trouble hearing it. So he was impressed that Harry responded just like he had shouted it.

"Interesting. I used to watch you watch me so that doesn't really surprise me. What surprises me is that you're the only one who could deduce that." Draco felt proud of himself that he could figure out the one thing that no one else could. He shrugged. After all, he had done the same thing. Doing things with mental detatchment came easy to him, after all he was a Malfoy.

"So, you willing to give it a go?" Draco nodded. "Good. Then I'll meet you at your manor at four in the morning. Be dressed in loose shorts, a tank top, and running shoes. Don't bother with your hair or a shower. It won't matter in the end."

"Why?"

"When you signed up for this, you agreed to being trained by your partner. Tomorrow we start training. Four AM. Don't disappoint me." Taking that as his clear dismissal, Draco went straight to the manor and fell asleep after a light dinner. He both feared and anticipated the next morning.