Muggles ✧ Drarry

᥊𝓲𝓲𝓲

ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ: 5.1ᴋ
ᴅᴀᴛᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ: ᴊᴀɴᴜᴀʀʏ 20ᴛʜ, 2021
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Even though the media knew what they had been led to believe, and even though Potter had flat out told some ministry employees about his and Draco's relationship, people were still shocked to see them walking into the ball arm and arm.

There were small gasps and whispers when they entered through the doorway, and Draco had to force down a sneer.

Potter slid his arm out of Draco's, and intertwined their fingers together. He squeezed Draco's hand in a way that was reasonably reassuring. His palms were soft and warm in Draco's hand, and he felt Potter rub a few circles in the back of his palm.

"Scared?" Potter asked under his breath, not looking in Draco's direction. He was staring forward, mumbling to the blond while smiling at Head Auror Robards, who was approaching.

Draco let out a small snort. "You wish."

Potter smiled again, this time not at Head Auror Robards, but at Draco's quip. He pulled Draco closer to himself and they began to walk towards the Head Auror. Draco made sure to avoid all of the weird glances that he got as they passed other people, and he kept his eyes trained on something in the distance.

"Harry Potter!" the Head Auror said with a rumbling laugh, pulling Potter away from Draco's grasp and into a large hug. It was entirely unprofessional, but it was visible to Draco that it wasn't uncustomary either. "It's so good to have you back from that solo mission that I sent you on that's been keeping you from the office for so long!" He said those last words slightly louder, so that passerbyers would hear.

"It's good to be back," Potter laughed warmly, stepping back from Robards with a quick pace and pulling Draco into a side hug. "I'm sure you two remember each other?" he gestured between Draco and the Head Auror.

"Ah yes," Draco murmured. "You're the idiot that came into St. Mungo's with a hatchet in your back. Literally."

Robards chuckled sheepishly. "Guilty. And you're the healer that saved my life." He extended a hand, which Draco shook. "Nice to see you again, Draco."

"Healer Malfoy will be fine," the blond snapped automatically. He noticed Potter's side-glare, but tried to ignore it, pulling his Malfoy Mask on over his expressive countenance.

"Of course," Robards nodded. "You're welcome to call me Gawain."

"That won't be necessary," Draco said pointedly, reaching back over to Potter, who absentmindedly wrapped his strong arm around the blond's thin waist.

Potter rolled his eyes. "I apologise, he's doesn't really want to be here," he spoke to Robards, who seemed to understand, and took this as a quick way to move on to other conversational topics.

"I can't say that many of us do," the burly mad agreed. "This ball is being held by the entire Ministry for representatives from all departments. Trust me, when the Ministry makes us do our little Auror-exclusive party thing like this, we're going to a pub with a running bar tab."

"That's be nice," Potter agreed. "I don't like this uptight stuffy nonsense."

Robards barked out a sarcastic laugh. "The only people who do enjoy it are the ones getting revenue. And the Minister, probably, because he gets good publicity from it, but fucking hell this is going to be such a bore."

Draco wondered what it was about Ministry events that made everyone want to claw out their eyes and stuff them in their ears. The ballroom was decorated nicely, classy, if you will, and the music that was playing in the background was quiet enough for conversation to be heard without straining voices.