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Written for;

Battle for Hogwarts Competition

Slytherin Competition

Theme Challenge - Mind Games, 2) Write about a Slytherin.

Eurovision Competition - Never

Colours of the Rainbow Competition - Green, Prompt 1 - Write about a slytherin.

Shop For A Prompt Challenge - Expectations

Word Count Without AN - 1145

Black Mark

"You understand our position, Mr Malfoy? It'll be difficult to get most people to trust that you're fighting for the right things. Your past makes it difficult, no matter the quality of your training, nor your abilities, which I'm sure are extensive."

Draco sighed, nodding his head. He'd expected as much.

"Thank you for your time," he murmured politely as he stood, offering his hand.

After a firm, but quick handshake, Draco left the office with his head held high. As low as he was feeling, it wasn't in his nature to allow others to see the hurt he was hiding. A hand on his shoulder made him pause, and he turned to find Harry looking at him, concern evident.

"You didn't get the job."

It wasn't a question, and though Draco still couldn't work out how Harry saw past his facade on a daily basis, it was comforting to know that at least one person knew him so well.

"Nope. I'm not easy to trust, apparently. I don't..."

Harry nodded as Draco trailed off. "It's alright, I know. We'll talk later, I've a few things to take care of before I can quit for the day."

"I'll see you at home."

Pressing his lips briefly to Draco's, Harry smiled. "It'll all work out, Draco. Just... keep the faith a little longer, okay? I love you."

"Love you too."

Draco watched Harry step away, quickly loosing himself into the crowds of people milling around the Ministry atrium. Heaving another sigh, Draco turned away. It was all well and good for Harry to tell Draco to keep the faith, but after training for as long as he had only to be told that his chosen profession would be impossible because of a misspent youth, it was hard to have any faith at all.

What on earth was he supposed to do with his life if he couldn't employ the only thing he'd ever wanted to do?

He'd never get away from the black mark on both his arm and his reputation.

"Scumbag!"

"...Should've died..."

"Traitor!"

"Deserves to rot..."

Draco sat up, shocked from sleep by the familiar nightmare that seemed to haunt his dreams anytime he fell asleep without Harry there to keep away the demons. The voices shouting in his dreams were nothing he hadn't heard in reality, but they played beautifully on his insecurities when he was alone.

Shifting himself around on the sofa so that he could lean his elbows on his knees and cradle his head in his hands, Draco took a deep breath. His skin was sweaty, his hair sticky and damp, and his heart was still racing in his chest.

"Alright?"

Without looking up, Draco leant into the comforting presence beside him. Harry let a hand sweep through the blonde hair, a worried sigh escaping his lips.

"Nightmare?"

Draco nodded, clutching at Harry's robes with one hand. "Hmm. Usual one. I should know better than to fall asleep without you."

Harry stroked Draco's head comfortingly, until the minute tremors stopped and Draco's heart slowed down to it's normal rate. Eventually, Draco pulled away, looking up to meet the concerned green eyes gazing down at him.

"Go and take a shower while I make dinner. Salmon?"

Smiling, Draco stood, pressing his lips to Harry's before he buried his face in his neck, his boyfriends scent calming away the last of his unease. "Salmon sounds great. Are you making it with the lemon butter sauce?"

Harry smirked, squeezing Draco's hips. "Of course. Go, shower, you smell."

Laughing as he ducked away from Draco's hand, Harry headed for the kitchen, leaving Draco to take a shower with a small smile on his face.

"I'm sorry, what?"

Harry snorted. "I quit. Put in my notice today. Told them I couldn't work for such a prejudice department and they could shove their promotion where the sun doesn't shine."

Draco stared, wide eyed and completely wrong footed. "Why on earth would you do that?"

"Because it's the truth. You're a fantastic lawyer, Draco, and they should be grateful that you'd want to work for them. So, I figured, we'd open up a private practice. Before long, the Ministry will be begging us both to take cases for them, and we can happily tell them to swivel."

Snorting despite himself, Draco shook his head. "I'm not convinced, Harry. People will want you to defend them because you're the saviour. Expectations and all. They won't want an ex-Death Eater anywhere near them."

"You're more than the tattoo on your arm, Draco," Harry replied quietly. "If I can see past it, then other people deserve the chance to do the same. We can make this work."

"You know people will talk? They'll say I've forced your hand."

"People talk, it's what they do," Harry muttered, rolling his eyes. "I still don't understand why you care so much what the rags print. We got through it when we got together, this will only be the same thing. Just... trust me? We can do this, Draco."

As Draco took Harry's hand, he almost believed it could be true.

Three Years Later

"So, you see Mr Malfoy, we'd love for you to represent our department in the coming months. It's going to be an admittedly arduous case, but I've no doubt that you've the capabilities to handle it wonderfully."

Draco tilted his head slightly, eyeing the Head of the Department of Law Enforcement carefully. In his mind, he couldn't help but replay the man's voice telling him he couldn't be trusted to work for the department a little bit over three years ago.

Harry's voice in Draco's mind was gleefully laughing while telling Draco to tell the Head to cheerfully go and swivel, but Draco had more decorum than the man he loved and knew he couldn't do that. Instead, he pasted on a polite smile and replied, "I'm afraid that with the many clients I have, I simply don't have time to be working such time consuming cases for the Ministry at the moment. Harry is as busy as I am, so I can't even hand over any to him. Still, I wish you all the best with your case, of course."

Later that evening, as they lay in bed, Harry grinned. "Did it feel as good as I thought it would?"

Draco shook his head. "No. It felt better. Harry... thank you."

Harry kissed his shoulder. "Nothing to thank me for. We did it together. I love you."

"I love you too."