Draco spent a considerable amount of time contemplating his clothing for the evening. He knew he had to have a certain effect on the people coming to the house and he also knew first impressions counted, no matter how much that shouldn't be the case. There is a well-known mantra in the Magical World, and probably the Muggle World too, that a person will form a mental image of someone else in the first tenth of a second of meeting them. Of course, that first impression may not be accurate but Draco knew his history put him on a back foot. He had to ensure that people knew, immediately, that he'd changed, that he wasn't who he'd been brought up to be, that he wasn't his father, that he wasn't a dark, evil, untrustworthy person, that he wasn't conniving or, on the other hand, slobbish or thuggish or deceptive, or that he wasn't any other negative assumption they could make about him. He had to get this right, for Harry's sake.
So, he knew from the moment he went upstairs to Harry's bedroom—to their bedroom—that he couldn't wear anything that connected him with his past self or his father.
He pulled on a pair of smartish diesel-blue jeans because he knew Harry particularly liked him in them and then riffled through the wardrobe. The problem was, Draco tended to wear band t-shirts with the sleeves cut-off to show off his tattoo sleeves and Harry tended to wear black. He spied a white shirt of Harry's. It looked to be a muscle shirt and short-sleeved so it would show his tattoos. Draco pulled it on and it fit well enough; not as tight as it would be on Harry but certainly almost a tailored shirt. He didn't tuck it in. He pulled on a pair of smart boots and checked himself over in the free-standing mirror. He nodded to himself, satisfied. He knew in his heart that it was time to go clothes shopping and revamp what he had, life was changing again. There was just his hair to deal with. It was getting a bit long around his ears and at the nape of his neck and really needed a cut but there wasn't time for that now so he teased a bit of Sleakeazy through the ends to give it a more tousled look.
Today was not a day for eyeliner so he just straightened the diamond-stud earing that Harry had brought him for his birthday, squirted a bit of aftershave on his slight stubble, and stepped away from the mirror.
He would have to do as he was but he hoped Harry would approve and the others would get what he was trying to show and would take him seriously.
He did, he realised, feel happy with what he'd achieved. He felt a spark of his old Malfoy self-assurance return and it bolstered his new self. He nodded to himself again. He could this.
Of course, when he stepped through the kitchen door and saw Minerva McGonagall, his confidence immediately ebbed away. Who was he fucking kidding?
Harry glanced up as Draco appeared at the kitchen door and he smiled, feeling a familiar heat rising through his body. He really didn't know that it was possible to be so attracted to another man. They'd only had sex a couple of hours ago but Harry wanted to take Draco straight back up to their bedroom—only it would be a shame to get Draco out of those clothes so quickly because he looked divine. He sauntered over.
'You need to douse your libido,' Draco muttered into Harry's ear because Harry's eyes had darkened dramatically the moment he'd seen Draco. Draco couldn't help the warm feeling he felt as a result. There was a pride in being the one who reduced Harry Potter to this state. He was the one who could diminish Harry Potter to a quivering wreck time and time again and still have him coming back for more. Not that he was any bloody different as he looked Harry up and down in his leather trousers and his tight black t-shirt.
Harry whispered reverently, 'you look too damned gorgeous. How is that even possible?' He smiled wryly. 'You're going to cause a distraction all bloody evening.'
'Only for you, I hope.'
'Yes... well... I can't have anyone else thinking the same thoughts about you...'
'Oh gods,' Draco melted, 'I love it that you're so possessive over me. I would have given anything at school for the dynamic to be like this.'
'Really?'
'Well, maybe not so "adult" but certainly that feeling of loyal friendship. I'm glad you've taken the step to wear your trousers and t-shirt in a wider company.'
'Seeing as Ms Skeeter plastered a photograph of me wearing them over the front page of the Prophet, there's not really any point in hiding anymore.'
'Good,' Draco said. 'Talking of Ms Skeeter, she's gone very quiet. I'm surprised. I thought she might be pressing you for another interview.'
'My sources tell me she's being very busy doing some digging into Arum Twarmer.' Harry was, once more, amused about the situation with Rita Skeeter. It was entertaining, to say the least.
'How do you even know these things?'
'Being Leader of the Auror Elite Corps has its benefits. You'd be surprised what channels we monitor and who feeds us information. Surveillance is key. And it helps that Rita approached Percy about transparency in the Minister's and the Secretaries of Ministry's finances. She claims the public have a right to know if Ministry employees are declaring their benefits and paying suitable taxes.'
'Are they?'
'Not all of them. She's missing the vital information that Bill Weasley has made me privy to. But that will have to wait, Minnie comes our way.'
Minerva McGonagall had stood in the bright, refurbished, modern kitchen filled with the gorgeous smells of curry and had, indeed, watched the unannounced arrival of Draco Malfoy. She had followed Harry's progress across the kitchen, his eyes only for the blond man with a certain look of... it took a while to decipher because she was too busy thinking about rivalry before the pieces readjusted themselves and she saw the hunger, in both of them. She smiled to herself and was wondering if anything had happened between the two men, beyond a turnaround in their friendship. However, when she saw Harry reach up and adjust the diamond earing that Draco was wearing, she saw an action that was so tender and so unconscious that she decided there was more between them than perhaps they wanted people to know. They were talking business, that much she could just about hear, something about Rita Skeeter and surveillance, but there was also something in the way they talked that suggested Draco was Harry's confidant.
It had been late-January when Harry had approached her about the education system and what the Ministry could be doing to help, rather than hinder, education for young witches and wizards entering the system at eleven years old. Particularly, he was keen to emphasise, Muggleborns, families from unprivileged backgrounds, and students with special educational needs. Her ideas had been plentiful and had kept growing. She was aware that the Magical World in Britain, as a culture, was not doing enough. Harry had been appointed one of the Governors at Hogwarts in late-February and had brought along Havelock Runehart from the Ministry's Department of Magical Education.
Havelock Runehart was undersecretary to the Head of Department, Ransom Burgher, whom Minerva hated with a passion. Burgher was one of Fudge's men, and old stick in the mud who believed Hogwarts should be more answerable to the Ministry, if not completely under its control. He was of the same school of thought as Dolores Umbridge. He also seemed to be hideously threatened by a woman in a position in power. In contrast, Havelock had a lot to say, in private, about what the Department of Magical Education should be doing to help, all while Hogwarts remained independent. He also wanted better international collaboration with other schools overseas, exchanges, tournaments—but not in the vein of the Triwizard Tournament which he considered a ludicrously lethal affair with arbitrary and contradictory rules and too foolish to ask students, even of seventeen or older, to partake in. And he wanted to overhaul some of the more archaic subjects, like Muggle Studies, which he believed only served to differentiate Muggles even more and to be exclusionary.
Harry, Havelock, and Minerva had to play the Governor meetings carefully, there were still too many old-school ancient white men of a certain class sitting around the table. However, with Molly Weasley on the board, once an idea took hold, she was very good at railroading everyone along a line. Minerva thought that most of the Governors were extremely frightened of Molly Weasley but no one dared challenge her because they'd all heard how she defeated Bellatrix Lestrange during the Battle of Hogwarts. Molly had turned into an unrealising ally. She was never privy to the private conversations between Harry, Havelock, and the headmistress and often she simply announced a thought along similar lines and Havelock just had to finesse them. It was noticeable that Harry rarely spoke up first, he let the others do that. He was aware his reputation meant the old-school ancient white men of a certain class sitting around the table often took immediate aversion to anything he suggested.
In fact, it turned out that Harry often played devil's advocate to Minerva, Molly, and Havelock—not in an attacking, defensive way but rather in a way that appeared to offer compromise to the traditionalists. For example, when Molly argued that it was inappropriate that eighteen-year-old boys were sharing the same dormitory space as eleven-year-old girls and it ought to be addressed, there had been a lot of people who had leapt to the conclusion that it meant getting rid of the House system. Harry argued that the House system should absolutely be kept in place, to remove that would be to remove the essence of Hogwarts and the history of its founders. Half the room had collectively sighed in relief. Harry then suggested that as the dorm rooms were rooms of five or six, it made sense that all the first years should be together but should still be traditionally Sorted as usual and then sleep in rooms with their fellow Housemates. He argued it was important to still promote House unity so there was still a sense of immediate community but barriers were also being broken down. The old boys were so relieved that the House system was staying, they immediately agreed to the change.
As Minerva watched Harry with Draco, suddenly things made a lot of sense as she guessed that Draco was also Harry's politic advisor. However, she wondered if she ought to break up their little discussion as people were beginning to arrive and she assumed, as nothing had been made public about a relationship, that it was a secret for the moment. She wandered over to join them and they immediately took a step apart. Her thin lips only briefly twitched.
'Harry,' she said with smile. 'The food smells gorgeous, I'm looking forward to it.' She turned to Draco, 'Mr Malfoy—'
'Draco,' he immediately said.
'Draco,' she said warmly, holding out her hand. 'And please call me Minerva. You look well.'
'Yes, thank you,' he said, unsure whether Minerva McGonagall knew something that he didn't.
She held his right hand and turned it gently. 'Spectacular,' she said with a quiet nod. 'I understand you are quite the celebrated artist these days.'
Draco immediately felt embarrassed. 'I only do commissions,' he said, 'ones that I want to because of the designs, not because of the money.'
She smiled, 'that sounds very wise. It keeps your work enjoyable. I imagine there's a lot of pressure that comes with permanently drawing artwork onto someone else, fears of getting it wrong or messing it up, particularly if you're not enjoying what you do. To do something with love will show in your end product.'
Draco smiled, grateful that she wasn't being judgemental of either his job or his past.
'Draco, can I draw you away from our enigmatic leader for the moment—'
'I'm not your leader,' Harry said indignantly.
Both Draco and Minerva looked at Harry with their eyebrows raised.
'Draco,' she continued, completely ignoring his protest. 'I'd like to introduce you to Havelock Runehart, from the Ministry's Department of Magical Education and someone,' she leant close and whispered conspiratorially, 'I hope will soon be replacing that dreadful buffoon Ransom Burgher as the next Head of Department. I swear, if Ransom Burgher comes to one more Governor meeting I may well commit murder but don't tell anyone that.'
Draco was suspicious as Minerva dragged him away.
'Havelock,' she said to a man in his mid-thirties. 'I'd like to introduce you to Draco Malfoy... I think he may prove to be a good candidate to fill Ivante Brande's recently-vacated chair.'
Havelock looked nothing like a Ministry man but Draco supposed it was the weekend and people had a life outside work. He wondered if the man had been called from the beach; he had a scrub of beard, a shock of long sun-kissed curly hair tucked under a cap, and a deep tan. He looked like a surfer in his bright flowery shirt that was half unbuttoned over a white vest top. The look was finished off by sandy combat shorts and flip-flops. Draco smiled after being so worried about what he was wearing and first impressions and all that.
Havelock eyed Draco up and down, appraising him, taking in the attractive young man before him with his white-blond tousled hair, aristocratic features, and diamond earing. He was nothing like his father in his chosen appearance; smart but openly defying the norm with superb artwork on his arms, as if challenging anyone to mention the Dark Mark that must have once been where the beautiful selection of bright pink flowers adorned his forearm. Havelock second-guessed that the attire was carefully chosen and also guessed Draco probably didn't wear smart clothes all the time. After meeting Lucius Malfoy in the past, he approved of Draco instantly.
'Interesting,' he said, holding out a hand. 'Have you considered a position as Governor at the school, Mr Malfoy?' he asked.
'Please call me Draco and no, I hadn't,' said Draco inquisitively, though he remained on edge and suspicious as he glanced at Minerva.
'A bit of an on-the-spot question but tell me, what do you think is one of the major shortfalls of Hogwarts that should be immediately addressed?' Havelock asked.
Draco looked at him, surprised, paused, and then said carefully, 'it's an ancient castle in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by expansive, beautiful, but difficult grounds, moors, and mountains. That's not a problem in itself but,' he took a breath, 'within the castle alone, there are one-hundred and forty flights of stairs between the dungeons and the seventh floor. Yet, there are no facilities or capacity for students with mobility or medical issues like wheelchair users or severe asthma. We rely on St Mungo's to be able to treat any malady but it's not always possible. What happens to the potential students who require walking aids? I have a friend, Macy, she's wheelchair bound. She couldn't attend Hogwarts and she would have loved to go. She had to be home schooled. She has been excluded from an essential and central part of our culture and that exclusion continues because our society is conditioned to look those with a visual disability as different because encounters are so limited. Our world is so good at being inclusive in some ways and then totally crap in others. We accept diversity in race and sexuality and gender identification, we're getting marginally better at recognising blood purity is irrelevant thanks to Harry but we forget those with disabilities, visible and invisible. We shut them away so people like Macy aren't part of normative society... what?' Draco said when he realised Minerva and Havelock were grinning.
'I think you'll be just perfect for the role. Of course, we probably ought to ask you some more questions, interview you properly and stuff but I should think Minerva and I already agree and your presence here is indicative that your views fit ours in terms of wanting to be progressive.'
'I admit,' Minerva said, her lips twitching, 'it's a rather sly move too. You see, our Mr Burgher would rather like someone from one of the old families, a traditionalist who will fit with his view of the world.'
'We can answer his request delightfully, not that he has the final word. But someone from the Malfoy family – it's perfect,' laughed Havelock, his eyes sparkling with mirth. 'Oh gods, perfect. He'll be pissing himself with delight and when he realises...'
Minerva looked slightly disapproving of Havelock's language and Draco wondered if Havelock was actually crying with laughter. The people who had been slowly piling into the kitchen were looking in their direction questioningly. Some, realising Draco was in their midst and central to Havelock's hysteria, immediately looked mistrustful.
It was then that Hermione tapped the side of her glass and brought everyone's attention to her. There were, in total, fifteen of them and they were beginning to look at each other, some warily, as if trying to evaluate why they'd been invited and who they could definitely trust or who they already knew. Hermione invited everyone all to sit at the long table in Harry's kitchen and there was a certain amount of shuffling as people moved to sit with people they knew. It was clear that this was the first time these people had been brought together.
Draco found his arm gripped firmly by Minerva as she pulled him into a seat between to her and Havelock and away from Harry.
'Trust me, it would be better this way for the moment.' She patted his hand reassuringly.
As plates and dishes began making their way to the table by magic, Hermione said cheerfully. 'Thank you for coming, especially as such short notice, and thank you, Harry, for opening up your house. I shouldn't need to say; the location is protected and secret. The nature of the sharing spell I used means the location can't be disclosed without repercussions. Similarly, that goes for sharing knowledge of this meeting and any content that we discuss. We thought it would be good to eat together and chat but there are also some topics that we wish to discuss as the evening progresses. Draco has very kindly ordered in an unbelievable selection of curries for us to indulge in, so please, tuck in and we can chat as we eat.'
Attention was drawn to Draco again and this time with a lot more inquisitiveness.
'Should we question why he's here?' asked Grim Fawley from the Department of Mysteries.
Before Harry had a chance to jump in defensively, Minerva McGonagall spoke up. 'I advocate his presence. He's a recently-appointed governor at the school and shares some progressive ideas that Hogwarts should have embodied a long time ago. I trust him implicitly.'
Harry raised an eyebrow as he looked at Draco as if to say, since when?
Draco shrugged and then found Havelock was drawing him into a conversation about tattoos as food was passed around and the conversation volume rose again. He found he was willingly being coerced into designing Havelock an upper arm surfing tattoo with a surfer cutting through a barrel wave that would almost curl over his shoulder.
***