A/n: Written for QLFC.

Pokemon Master Prompts: Charmander, 5. (pairing) Draco/Harry; 264. Linoone: Write about someone having trouble changing their direction in life.

Quidditch Supplies Prompts: [word] Admire; [word] Translucent

Reserve League Prompt: Season 8, Round 3: SEEKER: Helpless: Write about someone being immediately attracted to someone else. LYRICS: Where are you taking me?/I'm about to change your life/Then by all means, lead the way

Just Another Cuppa

Draco stands by the drip coffee maker, listening to its gentle purr as it brews him the perfect cup. He admires the enchanted Muggle contraption, marveling at a technology even better than pure magic, grateful that the wizarding world is slowly but surely adapting to the times and accepting that Muggles have some decent ideas.

He drums his fingers on the countertop as he watches the drip, drip, dripping of the dark-brown liquid, barely managing to contain himself. Once the coffee maker has deemed the process complete, the carafe lurches out, and Draco picks it up.

Pouring himself a tall cup of coffee—black and scalding, just the way he likes it—he replaces the carafe, and the coffee maker proceeds to clean itself. Draco takes a long sip, reveling at the burning trail that flows down his throat, and sighs in contentment.

Just then, his good friend, and one of the partners of the law firm Draco works for, enters the room, ushering in a very familiar brunette.

It takes him a couple of seconds to recognise the witch, not because he's forgotten her but because she looks very different to what he remembers. The bushy menace that used to be her hair now flows down her back in a shimmering curtain of chocolate-brown. Her petite frame is hugged close by a navy-blue pencil skirt that cinches a poofy blouse high at her waist, and her lips are painted a deep scarlet.

"And this is your desk, Miss Granger," Nikolas says, gesturing to a seat directly across from Draco's, and offers her a charming smile—the one that he reserves for people of importance, Draco notes with chagrin. "I'm afraid I have to take my leave, now, but my assistant, Monica, should be here any second—ah, there she is—and she'll give you the full tour."

"Thank you so much, Mr Smith. I'm so sorry for keeping you from your client," Granger says.

"Not at all! How unfortunate that I can't show you around myself; but duty calls, as you're well aware."

They exchange a few more pleasantries before Nikolas walks away, leaving Draco to sip his coffee and watch Monica animatedly explain the layout of the office to the brunette.

His initial wave of anxiety washed down by the caffeine, Draco gives Granger a onceover. Upon closer inspection, Draco notices that Granger's makeup is a little too thick, her heeled shoes, although an acceptable height, are a size too big, and she's much too short and skinny to pull off a long pencil skirt.

He scoffs to himself, irked by her sudden appearance, silently willing her to look across the rather large office space and notice him in the little alcove so she can share in his discomfort.

"I see you've discovered my cousin's latest asset."

Draco glances sideways as Theo ambles over to stand beside him, hands in the pockets of his expensive suit and an amused smirk tugging at his lips. Draco snorts derisively.

"And I see you're enjoying not having warned me about this."

Theo nudges Draco, his dark eyes twinkling with mirth as he says, "Sorry, I thought I did."

Draco ignores the insincere apology and straightens as Monica ushers Granger towards them. Granger does nothing to mask her shock at seeing them, and this gives Draco a measure of comfort, his sense of superiority returning.

"Draco, Theo, this is Hermione Granger. She's starting today."

"Nice seeing you again, Granger," Theo says, shaking the brunette's hand first, although her eyes are fixed on Draco.

"Oh, that's right! You went to Hogwarts together, didn't you? Oh, how could I forget—how silly of me," Monica blabbers, her cheeks colouring.

"Easy mistake," Draco says as he holds a hand out. "But this is certainly a surprise, Granger. Last I heard, you were working in the Ministry."

Granger shakes his hand once, a little too firmly, her eyes fiery and her tone icy when she says, "Yes, quite a surprise. Especially because you seem to know more about what I've been doing than I do about you."

Draco bristles. Monica glances between them, having sensed the tension, and with an awkward laugh and mumbled apologies, ushers Granger away. The brunette shoots Draco a withering look over her shoulder before disappearing out the door.

"Charming as always," Theo says, rubbing his fingers together with a strange smile on his face.

Draco recognises the amusement in his eyes and smacks his hand away. "You better not be plotting something, Nott. I refuse to clean up after you and your social experiments."

"Aw, don't say that," the man says, slinging an arm across Draco's shoulders. "After all, how will you live vicariously through me if I don't live vicariously to begin with?"

Draco rolls his eyes, shrugging Theo off and finishing his coffee. "If I wanted two Pansys in my life, I'd just clone the one I already know."

"But then you'd miss out on all this." Theo gestures to himself.

"A willing sacrifice for the sake of my sanity," Draco replies, placing his mug on the cleaning rack before walking away.

"You say that now, Malfoy, but I hear the sound of regret!" Theo calls after him.

"And I hear the sound of you getting fired, so get your arse back to work," Draco says as he scoops up a casefile and leaves for his meeting.

Theo's mocking laughter follows him out the door, and Draco can't help but smirk to himself.

If nothing else, Draco does not regret accepting Theo's offer to join his cousin's law firm two years prior. A private enterprise notoriously known for using any means to win cases, it belonged to Theo's maternal uncle, who had mysteriously disappeared one day, leaving his legacy behind to his only son.

Theo acquiesced to his mother's requests to support his cousin, and when Draco was struggling to bail himself out of the mess he had made of himself after the war, it was Theo who had given him a chance at regaining some semblance of a normal life.

Now, Draco takes pride in not only being one of the longest-standing members of the firm but also being a lawyer that gives as much as he gets. As he opens the door to the conference room and comes face to face with his newest client, he can't help but think that his greatest pleasure of all is the fact that people who scorn him openly in the street turn into groveling fools behind closed doors. His closed doors.

Draco smirks as the other's look of surprise quickly turns to one of open disgust. Draco shuts the door behind him with a satisfying click.

"Good morning, Mr Finch-Fletchley. What can I do for you today?"

"Congratulations on winning the case," Draco says perfunctorily as he comes to stand beside Granger at the coffee corner.

"Thank you," Granger replies without looking at him, focused, instead, on the dark, steaming liquid she's pouring into a tall mug.

Draco inhales sharply. That's his favourite mug. And his favourite coffee brew. How dare she!

Granger offers him a sideways glance and raises the carafe. "Care for some?"

Draco has half a mind to refuse before realising that he's in desperate need for coffee and doesn't have the patience to wait for another batch to brew. Begrudgingly, he plucks the nearest mug off the rack and holds it out. A heavy silence settles over them, broken only by the satisfying gurgle of the steaming coffee filling up the mug. The final drop settles with a gentle splash, Granger replaces the carafe, and with a brief nod at Draco, she walks away.

Taking a long sip, Draco watches her walk down the length of the room and slip behind her desk. She bends over to look for something, and Draco turns away with a sigh, feeling agitated.

It's been a month since Granger joined, and despite all of Draco's efforts—involving pointed comments thrown over his shoulder, documents accidentally handed in too late, and stolen clients—Granger has won all of her cases, not only proving to be a capable lawyer but also a worthwhile addition to the firm.

If her aptitude in itself isn't aggravating enough, the rest of their colleagues have not-so-secretly started betting on Draco and Granger to see who wins the most cases by the end of the financial year.

"Why are you even surprised?" Theo had asked when Draco voiced his frustrations. "She wasn't called the brightest witch of her age for no reason."

That only furthered Draco's agitation, and he found his gaze following after her everywhere she went, watching her every move, waiting for her to slip up; but if there's one thing Hermione Granger is, it is meticulous to a fault. And the longer Draco watches her, the more he is forced to admit that she is just that good.

Draco briefly wonders if they would've been friends if she'd been in Slytherin—or, better yet, if Potter had accepted his hand in friendship that very first day. After all, all his observing—stalking, Theo calls it—has shown him that Granger not only shares a similar work ethic but also shares many similar interests with Draco. So much so that when he'd discovered her reading a copy of Mefisto Felliz's A Potion Master's Recipe for a Perfect Life during her lunch break, he had nearly forgotten that they were nemeses and almost engaged her in conversation about his favourite book.

Drawn from his thoughts by the sound of the door closing, he looks up to find her gone. He glances into his mug and is greeted by a smiling coffee stain at the very bottom. And so is his drink, apparently. Draco clicks his tongue and decides to brew himself some more coffee before returning to work.

As he's heading back to his desk, Draco notices Theo walking past in the hallway outside. He makes to call out to him, but Theo stops to speak with Granger, and after a moment's conversation, Theo gestures, and they leave together. Draco frowns, wondering what Theo's up to and if he should remind Theo again not to go about his usual antics. A colleague comes up to Draco just then, drawing his attention back to work.

Some hours later, he checks his watch, mildly surprised by the time—he'd promised Theo he would meet him for lunch, but it's too late for that now—and sighs as his stomach grumbles. He rises to his feet, wondering if he should grab something to eat now or later, when he hears a familiar voice.

"Sorry, is Hermione Granger here?"

Draco glances up briefly then does a double take when his brain catches up with his eyes to register whom he'd just seen. He freezes on the spot, wondering if his eyes are playing tricks on him, as the bespectacled man enters the room.

Emerald eyes meet Draco's, and there's a moment's pause where they give each other a onceover. The only thing Draco can think when he takes in the fitted Auror's uniform, the surprisingly well-groomed hair, the chiseled jaw, and the new glasses is, damn, he looks good. Really good.

The other man seems to feel the same way, if his lingering gaze is any indication, and by the time Draco can register what he's doing, he's already walking around his desk and across the room.

"Potter," he greets with a nod. He attempts to follow up with a clever remark but is too distracted by the smouldering look in Potter's eyes and simply snaps his mouth shut.

"Malfoy," Potter responds, and Merlin's beard, has his voice gotten deeper?

"Granger's in a meeting," Draco manages. "I don't think she'll be done anytime soon."

Potter frowns. "Really? We were meant to meet for lunch."

"She must've forgotten," Draco says, then wonders why he's making excuses for Granger.

Potter scratches his ear and shuffles his feet. "Reckon there's no point in me waiting, then, is there?"

Draco shrugs. "Probably not."

They stand still, eyeing each other for a long, awkward moment before each looks away. Potter clears his throat. "Well, er, sorry to bother you at work. I'll just—"

He jerks his thumb towards the door, and before Draco can respond, to his complete and utter mortification, his stomach lets out a long, loud grumble. Potter bites his lip, looking like he's barely containing his laughter, and Draco's face turns hot.

"I made a reservation for two," Potter says suddenly. "For lunch," he adds, perhaps seeing Draco's confusion.

"Oh. Well. That's, er, kind of you to offer, but I still have work, and…" Draco trails off.

"Right, yeah. Of course." Potter nods. "I'll see you around, then—or not." He laughs uncomfortably, waves, and starts to walk away.

Draco's stomach lets out another angry gurgle, and he swallows as he imagines a nice, hearty meal. Then, his eyes fall on Potter's very fine behind sashaying away, and that's what sends him over the edge.

"Actually, Potter," he calls out, still admiring the sight of him walking away, "I may just take you up on that offer."

Draco stands mixing his coffee idly, his mind wandering back to lunch with Potter the previous day, and he cringes at the memory. Potter had clearly asked Draco to join him on impulse, and Draco had agreed just as spontaneously, leading to both men sitting in awkward silence for the better part of two hours. There were some attempts at small talk, but half-hearted conversations only lasted so long until each remembered whom they were dining with, then the uncomfortable silences resumed with greater fervour.

Sighing, Draco leans back against the counter, briefly thinking that he spends almost as much time in the small alcove as he does working. His eyes wander around the room, taking in his colleagues either engaged in idle chatter or engrossed in a case, then peers out of the windows that open into the hallway.

He notices Potter and Granger deep in conversation, and his heart thuds against his ribcage when they make their way inside. Draco turns away, willing his heart to stay calm, chastising himself for avoiding the duo instead of putting on a facade of normalcy as he usually would.

Just then, Theo enters from the back door, and Draco beckons to him hurriedly. The bloke saunters over, an amused smirk tugging at his lips.

"Alright?" he greets, and Draco clicks his tongue in reply. Theo's gaze shifts to peer over Draco's shoulder. "Well, you better be, because Potter's on his way here."

"What?" Draco hisses just as Potter taps him on the shoulder and says, "Hey."

Draco wheels around, nearly spilling coffee down his shirt, and splutters. In a moment of mortified panic, he sneers at the bespectacled man and says, "Back again, Potter? Being an Auror mustn't be all that hard, seeing as you have all this time to faff about."

Draco cringes inwardly at the sound of his grating voice, and Potter's eyes flash with irritation. The bespectacled man slaps a hand down on the counter. "Actually, I was hoping to apologise for what an unpleasant outing yesterday was and wanted to make it up to you, but I see now that I didn't have to go out of my way after all. Have a good day, Malfoy." He nods curtly at Theo. "Nott."

He watches Potter storm away, shoulders slumping in shame as Draco realises what an utter fool he had made of himself. Go after him and apologise, his conscience admonishes, but he's rooted to the spot, wallowing in self loathing.

Theo snorts, and Draco turns around to see his friend shaking with laughter. "Yes, go ahead, laugh; I am a joke, after all," he snaps.

The bloke doubles over, clutching his stomach as he guffaws. Draco seethes. Finally, Theo straightens up, wiping his eyes, and shakes his head. "No, no, I wasn't laughing at you," he says to his fuming friend. "It was just—he said—have a good day… not."

Theo howls with laughter again, and Draco flips him off before spinning on his heel with the intention of storming away. Then his eyes land on the small rectangular card Potter had left on the counter, and he pauses. He picks it up to find that it's a business card of a restaurant Draco favours, with a time and date scrawled on the back.

Draco's breath catches in his throat. He looks up, eyes scouring the large room for a raven-haired wizard, and he finds an angry-looking Potter being comforted by an impatient-looking Granger.

You are a terrible person, his conscience states matter-of-factly. When will you change?

Draco sighs, knowing what needs to be done.

Swallowing his pride, he walks over to Potter, faltering when the man turns around, and comes to a stop before the duo. With an anxious glance towards Granger, who rolls her eyes and walks away, Draco turns back to Potter.

"I'm sorry," Draco says. When Potter's expression softens slightly, he continues, "I was embarrassed over having made a fool of myself yesterday, and—well, that's not an excuse for my behaviour, is it?" He holds out the card, staring at his trembling hand because he can't meet the other's gaze. "Here."

When Potter takes the card, Draco nods. "Sorry again. I'll just…"

He turns away, his heart pounding in his ears, his face flushed. He scoffs at himself for being so bad at apologising. He was raised to be someone that never apologised for anything, but Draco knows better now than to use his upbringing to justify his behaviour.

Potter grabs his arm and stops him. "Wait."

Draco turns back around, barely breathing, but when his eyes meet the other's, Potter breaks into a smile. He holds up the card. "I take it we're still on for Saturday, then?"

Draco gawks at the card, then at Potter. "I—yes?"

Potter grins. "Great! Here."

When Draco doesn't react, Potter reaches out to take Draco's hand and places the card on it. As he pulls away, Draco grabs hold of the other's hand on impulse.

"I really am sorry," he whispers.

Potter's green eyes shine translucent, his hand warm in Draco's. "I know."

Saturday afternoon comes and goes, and Draco finds himself neck-deep in work, his lunch date with Potter all but forgotten. With a mighty groan of frustration, he grips his hair and pulls, allowing the sharp pain to jolt him awake.

"Here."

He looks up to see Granger standing over him with a file in hand. Draco takes it with a garbled word of thanks.

She nods at the rolls of parchment littering his desk. "Need a hand?"

Draco sighs and nods in resignation. He belatedly chastises himself for succumbing to what must be a devious ploy on her part to get the upper hand, but he's been working for twelve hours straight and his vision is starting to blur. At this point, he'd even let the weird Muggle that sells momos outside help.

Granger pulls up a chair and gets straight to work, only speaking when she needs him to clarify something. Time ticks away, and Draco doesn't even register Theo coming over to refill their coffee mugs as he pores over scroll after scroll.

At some point, Granger clicks her tongue, and Draco finally resurfaces to stare at her bleary-eyed.

"What?"

She makes a frustrated motion with her hand. "How has Nik let you work on a case this complicated all by yourself? Regardless of how much faith he has in you, it's impossible for one person to finish in time."

Draco sighs. "Yeah, well, everyone else was busy, and—"

"I wasn't," she interrupts.

"And you haven't gone home in a week," Draco continues pointedly, "so I told Nik I'd manage by myself."

Granger watches him for a long moment, as though seeing him for the first time. He frowns. "What?"

She shakes her head slowly and turns back to the twelve-inch parchment she's studying. "Nothing. I was just thinking that I wouldn't have known this side of you if I hadn't taken this job."

Draco scoffs. Then, after a moment's thought, he asks, "Why did you take it? The job, I mean."

Granger raises an eyebrow in a 'what are you implying?' kind of way, and Draco shrugs. "As far as I know, you had a great job in the Ministry and were well on your way to becoming head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Why give all that up just to slave away in some lowly firm?"

She hums low in her throat, and the sound reverberates through the quiet office, sending shivers down Draco's spine. He suddenly realises that they're alone—when had everyone else left?—and he wonders why he isn't wary of being alone with Granger anymore.

"Harry was looking forward to today," she says suddenly. "He must've been pretty gutted when you canceled."

Draco's jaw falls open as he remembers, and he smacks his forehead. "Bollocks!"

"You forgot!" Granger exclaims. "How could you forget?"

"Say that to me after you wrap up the rest of the case, yeah?" Draco snaps as he springs to his feet, grabs his coat, and Disapparates.

He arrives in the alleyway behind the restaurant and hurries inside, knowing already that there's no way Potter would still be there. He stands stupidly in the middle of the bustling restaurant, looking around wide-eyed, feeling the stares and realising he must look half mad in his exhausted state.

"Sir?" A waitress approaches, her expression clouded with concern. "May I help you?"

"I—uh—I was meant to have lunch here this afternoon," he starts to say. Then, realising how mental he must sound, he corrects himself. "There should be a reservation under Harry Potter for this afternoon? Could you check for me, please?"

She nods and ushers him to the front desk. After rifling through a ledger, she smiles up at Draco. "Reservation for two?"

Draco nods. She shows him the entry. "It seems Mr Potter came by earlier today?" She seems concerned again when she looks up at Draco. "Were you not with him?"

Sighing, Draco runs a hand down his face. A thought occurs to him suddenly, and he asks, "Did he leave any contact details with you?"

The waitress hesitates. "Sir, I—"

"Look, you'll be doing me a huge favour here." When she seems unconvinced, he pulls out a wad of Muggle money and stuffs it in her hand.

She crinkles her nose. "Sir, I can't accept this."

Draco groans, agitated by his self-induced helplessness, and looks around like a lost child. The waitress must've taken pity on him because she hands back the cash and also slides over the ledger.

"Please be quick. This could get me fired."

"You are an absolute gem," Draco says as he quickly jots down the details, thanks the waitress profusely, and rushes out of the restaurant.

It takes him a minute to memorise the address, and once he's out of sight, he quickly Disapparates, arriving outside an unimpressive flat. He wipes his sweaty palms on his pants and is just about to knock when someone comes up behind him.

"Wha—Malfoy?"

Draco nearly jumps out of his skin, startled as he is, and Potter unlocks the door to his flat as Draco calms his racing heart.

"What're you doing here?" the bespectacled man asks, ushering them inside. "And why do you look like you haven't slept for a week?"

"Because I haven't," Draco mutters. "Could I have some water, if you don't mind?"

"Oh, yes, of course—please, sit down."

Draco settles down on a worn sofa, surprised by how plush it is, as Harry fills up a glass and hands it over.

"Can I get you anything else?" he asks as Draco chugs down the water as though he's dying of thirst. "Some tea? A bite to eat?"

Draco crinkles his nose, having the decency to feel guilty over his imposition. "Would I be a terrible person if I said yes to both?"

Potter's smile is kind, and Draco doesn't understand why he's being so patient. Considering their history, Draco deserves to have been turned away at the door. He follows Potter into the smallish kitchen and watches him rummage around.

"I'm sorry; I haven't got too much to offer. I have some stew that Molly—Mrs Weasley—sent over, and fresh bread, if you'd like."

Draco's stomach gurgles, and he swallows thickly. "That sounds wonderful."

Once the meagre meal is devoured, Draco turns to Potter. "I cannot begin to apologise for today."

Potter sighs. "Won't say I wasn't cheesed off that you didn't even let me know, but honestly, having experienced this with Hermione over the years, I understand how hectic it can get for you guys. Being an Auror is actually much less stressful, let me tell you."

Draco frowns. "Why are you such a good person?"

He says it like an accusation, and Potter raises an eyebrow. "I'm sorry?"

Draco grumbles. He looks around, then realises that he should probably leave. "I—er—I should go. Left Granger at work by herself, and I feel bad..."

"Oh." Potter looks disappointed, but he nods anyway. "Okay."

They make their way to the door. Draco turns around abruptly, wanting to apologise again, but Potter is so close behind that he ends up bumping into the other man. He jerks backwards, loses his footing, and Potter steadies him.

"You need sleep," Potter says softly, mistaking Draco's unsteadiness for exhaustion.

"I do." Draco steps back and presses up against the door. He feels vaguely trapped, but when he looks into Potter's eyes, there's a strange fire burning deep within. Potter's gaze flits down to Draco's mouth, and the latter is suddenly very conscious of the fact that he hasn't showered in two days.

"I should—go."

"Okay."

Neither moves, and Draco's eyes then flicker down to Potter's lips involuntarily. Potter leans forward, and Draco closes his eyes, but a moment later, he hears a click behind him. When he opens his eyes, Potter's smile is wry.

"Just opening the door for you."

"Right. Thanks," Draco says, flushing scarlet. He steps out and holds a hand out. "I'll make this up to you."

Potter shakes his hand and says, "You know what? I'd rather you don't."

"Oh…"

"No, no," Potter says quickly. "I mean, I'd rather we just meet up because we want to instead of it being to make up for something every time."

"Oh," Draco says again. He nods slowly. "Alright."

Potter smiles. "I'll wait for your owl, then. Good night."

"Good night."

It takes them a week to wrap up the case, and when they do, Draco turns to Hermione—that's right, they're on a first-name basis now—and offers her a tired smile.

"Thank you," he says, and he means it.

She beams.

After that, Draco and Hermione form a strange kinship over their shared struggles and common interests. It's so genuine that even Theo decides not to meddle or poke fun.

It becomes natural for Hermione to stop by his desk with a mug of coffee on the way to hers, and for Draco to check in with her on her cases whenever he has the time. They even start going out to grab lunch together—with Theo in tow because their friendship seems to bring great amusement to the man.

They end up working on cases together after realising that it's the most efficient way, and Draco suddenly finds himself having marginally more time than he used to. Thanks to this, he's able to go out with Harry—yes, Harry—not once, not twice, but four times in the span of two months, and every time leaves Draco looking forward to the next meeting so much more than before.

He hadn't imagined it would be so easy to simply forget who they used to be and get to know the people they are now. He can't say Harry is all that different, but Draco's sure Harry finds him to be a completely different person, now that they're not nemeses and Draco doesn't have to make the other's life miserable all the time.

Harry laughs about that when Draco mentions it one time, and Draco finds he absolutely loves the sound of Harry's laughter. He finds the days brighter than usual and actually looks forward to them in a positive, it's-a-happy-day kind of way rather than his usual let's-screw-people-over kind of way.

He's even humming a little tune as he walks around the office, coffee in hand, when he's accosted by Nikolas.

"I received a subpoena this morning," he whispers, a crazed look in his eyes as he glances around, as though afraid someone was watching them. "The Ministry claims to have received an anonymous tip about fraud."

Draco frowns. "An anonymous tip? Who would—"

The answer comes to him before he even finishes the question.

He recollects asking Hermione why she had left a highly coveted job to join their firm, and he remembers her never giving him a proper answer no matter how many times he brought it up.

"You think it's Granger too, don't you?" Nikolas whispers. "I should've known! Why didn't I suspect—"

He cuts himself off and exclaims in frustration. Draco, meanwhile, is oddly calm as he sifts through all of the cases they went over and all of the time he had spent watching Hermione. Suddenly, he remembers little behaviours that seemed odd but weren't strange enough to raise suspicion.

Hermione taking notes and refusing to let Draco see them lest she 'make things easy' for him. Hermione sending and receiving unstamped letters that she would run off somewhere to read, claiming they were 'personal letters' from Weasley. Harry popping in for a 'visit' every so often and the duo having hushed conversations out of earshot.

Suddenly, Draco wonders if Harry's a part of it as well—if he's only been approaching Draco because he wanted information to build a case against the firm.

That explains why he was so patient no matter how badly I treated him, Draco thinks bitterly.

"What do we do?" Nikolas asks, drawing Draco back to reality. "Maybe I should just pull a disappearing act like Father did when the Ministry came snooping…"

Draco rolls his eyes. "You'll go to court and attend the hearing." Draco claps Nikolas on the shoulder. "And I'll be your lawyer. Actually," he adds, an idea forming in his mind, "Hermione and I will be your lawyers."

Nikolas blusters in confusion, but Draco only assures him it'll be alright before walking away. He stands outside the main office area, looking in through the windows and sipping his coffee. He watches Hermione go about her business, nothing out of the ordinary, and scoffs at how brilliantly she had pulled the wool over their eyes.

Theo comes to stand beside him. For once, the man doesn't have a smart comment to make.

"What do you want to do?" he asks. "Shall we stand and fight, or is it each man for himself?"

Draco takes a long sip of his coffee. "Neither." He turns to meet Theo's curious gaze. "We fight fire with fire and take them down from the inside."

"You seem preoccupied," Harry says at dinner one evening. Draco wants to snap at him, but the concern in his eyes seems genuine.

"It's nothing," Draco says instead. Then, he asks, "If things were different, do you think you and I would've been friends at Hogwarts?"

"Well… things would've had to be very different, I suppose."

Draco scoffs. "Right."

"I didn't mean it like that," Harry says quickly. "It doesn't matter, though, right? Because we're friends now."

"Are we, though?" Harry seems confused, and Draco continues, "I mean, what we currently have is based on the premise that people can change. But do people really change?"

"You have… right?" Harry says, still confused.

"Have I?" Draco replies, his tone sharp and accusatory. "I mean, my job is to ensure that criminals walk away scott-free."

"It's not like you've defended a murderer or an arsonist or something, right?" Harry says, and although he must've meant to sound reassuring, he sounds uncertain instead. "So it's not like you're doing something terrible…"

"Then why're you and Hermione investigating the firm?"

Harry's eyes widen, and he looks like a deer caught in headlights. "I—How did you know?"

Draco swallows past the lump in his throat. "I was really hoping you'd deny it."

"Draco—"

"No, forget it," Draco says, rising to his feet. "I'm not obligated to put up with this."

He spins on his heel and Disapparates, but he can still picture the look of anguish on Harry's face for hours afterward.

"Hey."

Draco looks up to see Hermione standing over his desk with a scroll of parchment and a mug of coffee. He dons his best fake smile, willing himself to act naturally. "Hey. What's up?"

She hands over the scroll and coffee. "Why're you still here? I thought you took the rest of the day off."

"Something came up and I wanted to handle it before the weekend," Draco mutters.

He'd Apparated back to the office immediately after his conversation with Harry, hoping to drown himself in work to keep from dwelling on it, and Hermione is the last person he wants to interact with right now.

"Need a hand?"

"No thanks."

Hermione dawdles, and Draco sighs. "What is it?"

"I heard Nik's been summoned to court," she says matter-of-factly.

"Ah, yeah. I told him you and I would represent him."

Her eyes widen. "What? No!"

Draco quirks an eyebrow. "Why not? We're the best lawyers in the firm." He feigns confusion. "Unless you know something I don't?"

Hermione picks up a paperweight and fiddles with it. Draco sits back and waits. Finally, she looks around, as though to make sure nobody's in earshot, and leans in to whisper, "I can't represent Nik because I'm the reason he's being investigated."

Draco stares up at her, unmoving. Hermione seems surprised by his lack of reaction and frowns. "But you already know that."

He shrugs. "Wasn't that difficult a puzzle to crack."

He expects her to try to threaten him or plead with him or something, but he doesn't expect her to say, "Good, that makes this easier." She inhales deeply and fixes him with an intense gaze. "Help me."

Draco scoffs. "You realise you're asking me to betray the only person who agreed to hire me after the war?"

"Nik only hired you because it was one of Theo's conditions for providing the firm financial support."

"And Nik is Theo's cousin, who just so happens to be one of my closest friends."

Hermione sighs. "Will it help if I told you Theo's been working with us from the get-go and the only reason we have a case at all is because of him?"

Now, Draco is really stumped.

"You're lying," he says weakly.

"Then ask him for yourself."

Draco continues to gawk. So all the times he'd seen Theo having a chat with Hermione, it was about this? Draco had simply written it off as the bloke being up to his usual casanovesque antics and had even warned him several times to lay off. Theo's aloof demeanour never raised suspicion, and Draco is truly befuddled by this turn of events.

Finally, Draco manages to say, "Why are you telling me all this? I'm just as guilty for keeping quiet despite knowing that Nik's involved in some shady business."

Hermione perches on the edge of the desk. "Believe me when I say you know little to nothing of what Nik's involved in." Draco frowns, and she smiles wryly. "I would know; I've been watching you for months."

"So this," he gestures between them, "was all for show?"

"Draco, do you think I'd be here, asking you to join me, if I didn't trust you?"

"I don't know what to think," Draco mutters.

"I know this is a lot to process, but if it's any consolation, you're just as innocent as the rest of the people that work here. Even if you think you aren't."

Draco stares straight ahead, unseeing. "I'm not as good a person as you make me out to be."

"Only because you don't want to believe that you are."

Draco slowly turns to meet Hermione's gaze. She reaches out to place her hand over his, her smile gentle. "The biggest thing I discovered after coming here is that people can change. And you have, no matter how much you try to pretend otherwise."

He shakes his head. "I—"

"Look, why don't you take some time to think about this? Talk to Theo. He'll tell you whatever you want to know."

"And Harry?" Draco asks, his voice so soft that it's barely a whisper.

Hermione's smile is apologetic. "That's a conversation you need to have with him. Nothing I say will make any difference."

Draco nods and looks away, staring off into space, allowing his brain to process everything.

When Draco enters the conference room, Theo greets him with a sombre smile. He looks like he has a lot to say but doesn't speak, as though waiting for Draco to begin.

When Draco continues to stare mutely, Theo runs a hand through his hair and sighs. "Please say something."

Draco shrugs.

"Then ask me something. I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

Draco crosses his arms and studies his friend for a long moment.

Theodore Nott, the embodiment of confidence and self-declared superiority. Cockiness flows through his veins like blood, and he wears expensive suits like a second skin. Theodore Nott, who remains his unapologetic self even when staring at his faults dead in the eye, is now watching Draco with an expression of utmost hopelessness—as though a single word from Draco would unravel a man who is otherwise untouchable.

Just seeing his handsome features twisted in agony is enough to tell Draco that he regrets his actions. That doesn't mean Theo's getting off easy, though—not if Draco can help it.

"You played me good, Nott," he says finally.

Theo hangs his head, looking like the epitome of remorse. He makes no excuses.

Draco continues, "I've thought back to all of our conversations over the past few months, and you know what I realised?"

Theo looks up, the question reflected in his dark eyes.

"I realised that not once did you lie to me outright." The corners of Draco's lips quirk upwards despite himself. "Slytherin himself would be proud of your deception."

Theo seems to expand like one of those Muggle balloons. "I wanted to tell you from the beginning, I really did," he says, stepping closer. "But I saw what you went through, having to deceive everyone you knew in Sixth Year. I never wanted to ask you to do that again."

Draco scoffs, but he can't help but smile. Theo is many things, but most of all, he's one of the most considerate friends Draco has ever had.

"I'm sorry," Theo says finally, his voice soft.

Then Draco does something uncharacteristic. He reaches out and embraces the other man. "You're forgiven, you git."

Theo laughs as he clasps Draco for a moment before pulling away. Draco smirks. "But you best believe I'm going to hold this over you for the rest of your life."

Theo finally grins, his usual, relaxed countenance returning. "How about I give you that 1811 Chateau d'Yquem you keep eyeing and we call it even?"

"Well, if you're offering me one of the most expensive bottles of wine in the world in truce, I can hardly say no, can I?"

Draco claps Theo on the back, deciding that he needs no more answers from his friend. There is one person he really wants answers from, however, and he decides to confront him about it after all.

He's standing outside the cafe he agreed to meet Harry at, unwilling to find a seat and draw the conversation out anymore than necessary. The pop of Apparition sounds, followed by Harry rounding the corner, looking frazzled.

"Look," Draco says as Harry nears him, "I just need to know if this is real." He shakes his head and swallows thickly, all of the emotions he'd carefully filed away coming back in full force at the sight of the other man. "Because I've been nothing but truthful with you, and if you've only been meeting me for information, then I—"

He breaks off, unable to continue. Why is this such a big deal, he wonders. Why do I even care what he has to say?

"I won't lie to you," Harry says slowly. He steps closer, and Draco can see the conflict swirling in his eyes. "It started off that way," he continues. His voice is low, but Draco hears the way it trembles in the slightest. "But as I got to know you, it turned into something genuine." He surprises Draco by taking his hands. "I care for you, Draco. I really do."

"But you used me," Draco says, feeling like a silly teenager, his voice thick with emotion. "You could've just asked me to help you like you did with Theo instead of—of—" He gestures vaguely.

Harry nods, his expression apologetic. "I know. And I regret that I didn't, but Nott insisted that we leave you out of it."

Draco shakes his head. "I don't know if I can trust you."

"I understand." Harry lets go of Draco's hands and smiles sadly. "I really am sorry."

Why, Draco wonders, why does this hurt so much? When did I come to like him this much?

"Are you really?" Draco asks. He has to speak a little louder over the noise of traffic, and he regrets not having gone inside the cafe after all. When Harry nods, he swallows thickly and says, "Then show me."

Harry seems confused for a moment, and Draco himself doesn't know what he means. He feels the overwhelming need to run away from it all, as he always does with his problems, but his feet are rooted to the spot.

Then, Harry steps forward, cups Draco's face in his hands, and presses a kiss to his lips. Draco's breath hitches, and all of his concerns melt away.

Harry pulls back in the slightest. "I'm sorry," he whispers.

"I don't forgive you," Draco whispers back, but his tone is more light-hearted than accusatory. "Yet."

Harry's eyes shine as he leans in and kisses Draco again, longer and deeper this time, and when he pulls away, Draco has made up his mind.

"I'll do it," he says. "I'll help you."

Harry kisses him a third time, and Draco snorts. "Now you're just finding excuses to kiss me."

"I can stop," Harry says in a teasing voice as he pulls away.

Draco grabs him and pulls him back. "I haven't forgiven you just yet."

Harry laughs. "Well, then, I'll just have to make it up to you."

"We have to seal the deal, first," Draco says, leaning forward so their faces are inches apart.

"With what?" Harry murmurs against his lips.

"With a kiss, of course."