Hogwarts Professors

T W E N T Y - S I X

A few days later nearing the end of Christmas holiday Draco and Harry decided it was time they came out. They had already decided they were going to do it just casually so that's what they did. Harry, Draco, and Albus got on some appropriate clothing and took the floo over to The Leaky Cauldron so they could grab some things they all needed for the next part of term. 

When the three of them stumbled out of the floo they were surprised to find an empty room, not a soul in sight, however they decided not to think anything of it, just decided it was a bit strange but moved on. 

When they walked out of The Leaky Cauldron, however,  and into Diagon Alley they found that street was packed with people, and at that moment Draco and Harry knew it was now or never. 

"Are you sure?" Harry asked and looked over to Draco trying to read his face. There was a lot going on it, the mask the man once wore as a child fallen away, and his actual emotions were shown. 

"Yeah. I'm sure." Draco answered after a long moment and grabbed Harry's hand in a strong embrace. Draco could feel Harry shaking a little so he leaned over and whispered in the green eyed man's ear "It is going to be okay darling, Albus and I are right at your side, and although the reaction may not be all positive, who cares about them. I love you and Albus loves you, and that is all that matters." and with that the three males walked into the street. 

In the beginning they went relatively unnoticed they walked all the way to Gringots without really being noticed, and they managed to get to Florish and Blotts without becoming the distraction they knew that they would become. 

 Both Harry and Draco needed to pick up a few books on their classes. When they got to the bookstore they continued to hold hands, even if it would be faster for the two of them to split up and meet back up once they both had what they needed. Albus decided to take this time to look through the curses and jinxes books for something to use on Adam and Amy. 

As he was strolling through the shelves he found a book called Curses and Counter-Curses (Bewitch your Friends and Befuddle you Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly Legs, Tongue-Tying and much, much more) by Professor Vindictus Viridian. Albus was captivated by the book so he picked it up and brought it over to Harry and Draco. "Papa, Dad, look what I just found! Can I please get it?" 

Harry took one look at the book and instantly thought back to when he found the book on his first trip Diagon Alley in 1991. Harry smiled and although he knew he shouldn't and said "Yes." and there was nothing more discussed about it, although Draco looked at him with an eyebrow cocked, and Harry knew there would be more explaining to be done later on. They all paid and then left the store.

 It wasn't until now that they started to get a lot more stares and looks from people. Although nobody was being blatantly homophobic, the looks they were receiving (especially Draco) weren't exactly kind. And that was the exact moment that Draco realized that if he weren't careful he could get a lot of complaints from parents and that he could lose his job, and Merlin knew that was the last thing that he wanted. 

For all of two minutes Draco was able to keep himself calm and relaxed to the human eye, but then he and Harry heard the unmistakable clicking sound of a camera. They both stopped dead in their tracks but didn't dare turn around. But then the two men did something that they probably wouldn't have done a year ago, they let their shoulders relax, and just kept walking. The men knew that this would happen, granted they didn't imagine it so soon, but they knew it would happen. 

But at this same moment that they kept walking, Draco started to breathe heavily, heavily enough for both Harry and Albus (who was walking on the right of Draco) to notice. "Are you okay Dad?" 

Draco took a moment before answering "Yeah, i'm okay just remember I forgot to grab something in Florish and Blotts." 

Albus seemed to have bought this answer, but Harry knew better. The shorter man squeezed the taller's hand and they continued walking. They stopped at three more stores before stopping for food and heading back home. This time they didn't bother walking back to The Leaky Cauldron and just side along apparated home. 

The three of them landed into the living room where Hermione, Ron, and the twins were waiting. 

"Oh good you're home, we were staring to get worried!" Hermione said immediately, and stood up while holding baby Fred in her arms and giving everybody a hug and a kiss on the cheek. 

"Are you guys okay?" Harry asked, it was unlike them to show up out of nowhere. 

"We're alright mate, just checking in on you three since nobody has really heard from you since Christmas." Ron answered while cradling Rose in his arms. He gave everybody a hug too, not leaving Draco out which was a shock to everyone except for Albus who has stopped paying attention. 

"I'm sorry, we have just been having some us time. We actually came out today." Harry replied. 

"pARDON" Hermione responded, eyes practically bulging out of her head. "What do you mean you two came out today, why didn't you tell us you were planning to this." 

"I don't know." Harry answered honestly. "We didn't really tell anyone we were planning this." 

"But mate, we aren't just anyone." Ron responded with an expression of hurt across his face.

"I know, I'm sorry mate. The next time we do anything like this we'll tell you, right Draco?" 

Draco -who has been listening to the three of them talk for a few minutes- nodded in agreement. "Im sorry we didn't let you two know, Ronald you are right, you two are not just anyone. It was my idea not to tell anybody and I'm sorry for that." 

"Apology accepted Draco, just please don't let it happen again." Hermione answered with Ron nodding in agreement. 

"We won't." 

*** 

A few hours later everyone was in bed, Harry and Draco were sat beside each other in their bed reading (Draco a book, and Harry a quidditch magazine). 

"What page do you think we are going to be on?" Harry asked looking over to Draco. 

"Hmm?" 

"With the whole coming out thing."

"The front page no doubt. The press have been trying to get anything about for a long time, and this is exactly what they have been waiting for." Draco answered and went back to his bed. 

"Yeah you're right." Harry nodded and tried to go back to his magazine. Key word is tried. He has having time with it, he couldn't stop thinking about the fact the whole world know by tomorrow afternoon. The fact that this would no longer be their secret, well technically it wasn't as they had already come out, and that they would both be given shit about it- Draco especially. "I love you." 

Draco placed his book on his lap pages down. "I love you too Harry James Potter." Draco answered, he looked deep into Harry's green eyes while saying this, and then leaned in to give Harry a slow and sweet kiss, the kind that only happen in movies. When they pulled away after a moment Draco said in a low voice just above a whisper "You have nothing to worry about, we are going to be okay, more than okay. We have each other and that's all we need." 

Harry nodded "You're right, I'm just being silly."

"No you're not, you're being you, and I love that. I can tell you're worried about what the media will say about me, tear me apart in the paper, but that's okay. They will say things like 'Ex Death Eater Uses Love Potion on Boy Who Lived' and 'Ex Death Eater Turns The Saviour Harry Potter Evil', but that is okay. Like I said, we have each other, and that's all we need." Draco kissed Harry again, and then placed a marker in his book. "Come on darling let's go to bed." 

Harry put his magazine on the table beside him, the two men turned off their lights and then laid down in their bed. Draco pulled the cover up and then cuddled into Harry, the darker man put his arm around the blond and they quickly Draco fell asleep like that. Harry had a harder time falling asleep, he spent too much time worrying about what was yet to happen. But finally he did, listening to Draco's calm breathing, knowing that everything will soon be okay as long as they stick together.