Drarry One Shots

Loitering with Intent

A/N Contains scenes and discussions of a sexual nature but not smutty-smut...

Just before the Christmas some five years and seven months after the war, a small article was printed on the front page of the Daily Prophet that wasn't big or important news. It may not have been long or dramatic but it ended up being incredibly impactful on Draco Malfoy's life.

The piece contained an attractive photograph of the sun-kissed Harry Potter in Diagon Alley with a brief paragraph of writing. It simply read: Assistant Head Auror Harry Potter is photographed outside the new travel shop on Diagon Alley looking tanned and healthy. When asked, our ever-courteous Saviour simply replied, 'Thank you for your compliments. I've just returned from a week in the Maldives and feel rather rested and content. It was an impulse holiday, all booked through Mr Malfoy's Wizard Wanderings and all my travel needs were completely cared for and answered for through his company. It was wonderful. I can't sing Mr Malfoy's praises enough. He saw to my every whim and the holiday was utterly satisfying. I haven't felt so relaxed and happy in a long time.' Assistant Head Auror Potter declined to tell the paper whether he'd been in the Maldives alone or had company on his holiday.

Those that knew of Mr Malfoy's and Assistant Head Auror Potter's history were somewhat surprised by the commendation but that's because they weren't wholly privy to the build up of events over the few months prior to Harry Potter's holiday. Naturally, Draco swore about Potter's bloody hero-complex and his unwanted charity. But, he couldn't deny that Potter's brief endorsement did no end of good for his little travel shop that was ailing drastically after being open for only three months. Indeed, merely two days after the article he had an actual queue outside his shop...

***

The events building up to this article started exactly five and a half years after the war.

Assistant-Head Auror Potter had become rather bored with life and was, sadly, somewhat unhappy.

He would sporadically blame various reasons and the list of whys and wherefores was quite long. He told himself he was bored of the monotony of each day being the same. Day in, day out...; he was bored of Ministry politics; he was bored of petty criminals; he was bored of the paperwork; he was bored of petty in-house squabbling between the senior Aurors; he was bored of the idiocy of the junior Aurors; he was bored of work and needed a holiday; bored of the fawners who wanted to lick his boots; bored of the fame-hunters who still plagued his every step. Bored that there were no adventures in life anymore.

So, when there was a kerfuffle in the booking-in area of the Auror Department one day and a familiar voice, one that Harry hadn't heard for five years, drawled loudly, 'I have rights to legal representation, I wish to call my solicitor,' he felt his heart beat faster in a singular flash of excitement that he hadn't felt for years and he rushed out of his office to see what all the fuss was about.

'Will you stop manhandling me,' the tall blond man said with a sneer. 'I'm perfectly capable of stepping towards the desk as requested.'

'Richardson,' Harry said calmly, despite the unexpected thrill of seeing those sharp aristocratic features and that very distinguishable white-blond hair again. 'What is going on?'

'I've made an arrest, sir,' said Junior Auror Richardson proudly, jabbing his prisoner in the back roughly with a finger so he lurched forward towards the Custody Desk. 'Of a very dangerous man.'

Draco Malfoy didn't look very dangerous. He just looked slender, and pointy, and elegant. And because his wrists were handcuffed behind his back, it meant he stumbled slightly and his soft hair flopped over his eyes. Malfoy ignored it, straightening his back and glared at Harry with accustomed animosity. His lips tightened into a scowl, his eyebrows furrowed and his jaw stiffened in anger.