Ghosts of What We Used to Want (A Drarry Fic)

Part 3

Draco made sure to pick up his identification information and warrant for polyjuice on the way to the Auror Department. No need to get stuck in the detention cells just because someone was too wand-happy towards an unfamiliar face. However, that precaution turned out to be unneeded. Instead, Draco found himself under the appreciative eye of several men as he walked towards Potter's cubicle.

Draco had to admit it was a bit nice, but their appreciation lost most of it's appeal when it wasn't directed towards his own body. There was no way Draco would be willing to put up with any of this female drag just to try to pull someone. He was rather incredulous that he had even half-believed that theory about trans people. But, as it had been established, he was rather naive in most areas of life.

Potter finally looked up as Draco stopped at his desk.

"Harry, I didn't know you had a date," one of the Aurors called, hovering to observe from over his divider.

Draco simpered in his direction just to rile Potter up, even going so far as to flip his hair over his shoulder. Then he turned back to Potter. "Harry, are you ready to go?" he asked in the softest tones he had managed.

Potter frowned at him and then grabbed his wand.

Just in case Potter was going to try to call security, Draco leaned closer and whispered, "I was sent to reinforce your bisexual identity." He said the last part with special emphasis just in case Potter was slow on the uptake.

It did seem like some of Potter's attention was snagged by the little cleavage the wired bra could give Lya's chest. Then he seemed to finally catch up. "Malfoy?" he asked incredulously.

When Draco smirked, Potter's face flushed and he gave Draco a very annoyed look. "You are such a fucking prat, Malfoy." He rooted around in his desk, pulling out his rucksack full of tools they might need for a sting like this. Finally he glanced up. "Though, good job on the polyjuice. I wouldn't have had the guts to try to do a woman."

Draco thought about letting that go. He really really did. "I rather think you've got that last bit backwards."

It again took Potter several seconds before he caught up. Finally he rolled his eyes. "Lets just go, Jesus." Then he took off at a pace that Draco could not hope to keep up with in heels and keep any dignity.

Draco grabbed Potter's arm and hissed, "Have you never escorted someone in heels? No wonder everyone just assumed you were gay."

Potter stopped and looked down at the heels. His annoyed frown turned to a smirk. "Why did you find it necessary to wear heels, Malfoy?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Because Lya's job requires them. I duplicated Lya's outfit this morning and have spent all day making sure I wouldn't give us away by acting awkward. It's like you think I don't know how to do my job." Draco let out a sigh. "Some of did get here without riding the coattails of fame."

Potter's eyes flashed again. He really was as easy to rile up as ever.

Amused, Draco couldn't help leaning in and cooing at Potter. "You can at least act like you are escorting a woman, can't you Potter? Or is there a reason they didn't fight me on which of us went under cover?"

Potter's face took on a constipated look but he wrapped an arm around Draco's waist. "You better sleep with one eye open, Malfoy," he hissed under his breath. Then he turned and waved cheerily at the rest of the Aurors watching. "We've got an appointment we've got to keep."

Draco supposed the smug little smile he had on his face probably could fit a woman being escorted by Potter to a supposed date. Though he did silently apologize to Lya for probably making her look like a right twat. Oh well, maybe her going out with Potter might improve her standing. Though he couldn't understand what was so desirable about a wizard who wasn't particularly good looking and whose glory-days were behind him.

Draco almost touched his temple where his own hair was thinning. Maybe it was a bit hypocritical to have those particular thoughts. Since his glory days had stopped way before Potter's had.

The afterglow of working Potter into a strop had faded and now Draco was just ready for this to be over with. Maybe if all went according to plan, he would only have an hour or two more in Potter's company before the Aurors took over recon of the suppliers.

At the apparition point, Draco side-alonged Potter to Lya's workplace. Lya was waiting around back behind strong notice-me-not charms. Lya looked between Potter and Draco with a disconcerted sort of look.

Draco remembers that he is both wearing her form and is still clinging to Harry Potter's arm. Draco immediately drops Potter's arm and tries to set himself to rights.

"Some people might have gotten the impression Potter was going on a date with you, sorry," Draco said, his voice automatically dropping back into the hoarseness that comes with using his usual throat muscles. Draco coughed and purposefully shifted his voice breathier. "Lya, this is Harry Potter. Potter, Lya.

"Hello," Lya said easily, taking Potter's offered hand. "I think that is alright, depending on how the two of you were acting."

"Unfortunately I had to grab his arm because he was trying to take off in a jog while I was wearing these," Draco gestured petulantly at the offending heels. He was counting down the minutes to when he could vanish them from existence.

Lya smiled. "I did try to pick my most comfortable pair for you, Draco."

Draco made a little disbelieving noise. "Can you say the same about your..." He glanced at Potter. "Undergarments," he mouthed at Lya.

She raises an eyebrow and gives him a pained look. "Yes, those too."

Potter frowned, obviously having missed the mouthed word.

Draco decided to help thrown Potter off the trail, given Draco was the offender in bringing up the subject in the first place. "Anyway, Potter is willing to take you on a real date some time to gloss over whatever horrible impressions we made while I was traipsing around as you."

That got a startled look from both of them.

"Malfoy," Potter said in a groan of great annoyance. So success on that front at least. Then he turned to Lya. "I would, though. We probably made a bit of a spectacle arguing on the way out about ladies' heels. But the date would be platonic."

Draco mock gasped. "So you are gay."

"Will you shut the fuck up, Malfoy," Potter said irritably. "I've found the whole dating thing is much more trouble than it is worth," he told Lya apologetically. "So I just want you to know what you are getting yourself into, no matter how much a fuss the Prophet kicks up."

Lya bit her lip. "I think I'd be a fool not to take you up on that, Auror Potter. Owl me whenever this case is over and I can show you this charming little cafe my friend runs. She is well known for hiring wix who are open about their Magical Being inheritance. She could use the extra patronage you would bring, if nothing else."

Potter didn't even blink an eye at being openly used for his name. "Would be happy to. I'll get the address from Malfoy but this case might take a few weeks or more. Now, speaking of the case," Potter pulled out his invisibility cloak. "We should get going and meet this bloke you told us about."

Lya nodded and said her goodbyes before disappearing with a crack.

Potter had the cloak around himself and everything but his head had disappeared. It isn't the most reassuring sight. "Is she in Slytherin?" Potter asked wryly.

"Beauxbatons, actually," Draco said sharply. "They are a lot less adverse to accepting Magical Beings."

Potter's eyes narrow but instead of saying anything he just flipped the cloak over his head so he disappeared completely.

Draco took that as his cue to make his way to the meeting place Lya had agreed upon with the suspect.

...

Author's Note: The fic's title keeps oscillating me between having Halsey's 'Ghost' and 'Somebody I used to Know' stuck in my head.

Please review. I would really love to hear your thoughts!