Chapter Text
Harry was tired. Tired of being an Auror. Tired of fighting. Tired of the publicity. He had been brought back to life with the expectation he might die again at the hand of Voldemort. Yet when the great war was over, he was left with a life to fill.
He was not the boy he had been; dying had changed that. No, harry had become someone else, someone with different dreams. But it had taken him years of struggling, training to be an auror and finally becoming one, to realise it.
He was just tired. That’s probably why he didn’t fight it when Ron dragged him out for drinks. Usually, he preferred to get a good night’s rest, so he was sharp on the job, but he just did not care anymore.
***
They started the night in the usual pub, a small muggle business where they were never recognised and could really relax.
‘What’s up Harry? You’ve been all gloomy recently’ Ron inquired, looking genuinely concerned for his best mate.
‘It’s nothing, Ron. Just feeling tired is all’
‘Yeah… but you’ve been like this for a while. Hermione and I are worried. God, even mum and dad brought it up when you visited last. Common mate, you can tell me.’
‘Look’, Harry began. But his eyes caught the glimpse of silver hair, and the words died in his mouth. That can’t be, he thought. Not here, not now. But there was no mistaking it. That was Malfoy.
‘Shit’ Harry spluttered, and Ron followed his line of sight, cursing under his breath too. ‘What do you think he’s doing here?’
‘Dunno. Probably here for the same reason as us: a drink and some invisibility’.
‘I really can’t see him wanting to come here for a drink though’ Harry mused, watching as Malfoy chatted to a shorter, brunette man. They seemed to be good friends, from the way Malfoy leaned into him and the way they were laughing. Harry was about to turn away, to let the other man go on with his night, but Malfoy chose that exact moment to look up. He spotted Harry in an instant, his body immediately going rigid.
The two had only seen each other a few times since, at Malfoy’s hearing, during the Hogwarts renovations and then a few times at the ministry of magic. But never had they seen each other outside of a magic or official setting. However, Harry felt no more hostility towards the other man. Yes, he was a prat, an idiot, but he had also suffered through the war.
Harry felt the corners of his mouth lift up to form a smile. If anything, this had the opposite effect on the blonde man. Malfoy’s eyes widened, a flush spreading across his cheeks, and without any warning, he spun around and ran. Harry felt just as puzzled as Malfoy’s now abandoned colleague. Ron too turned to look back at Harry with a quizzical look on his face.
‘What do you think that was about?’ Ron questioned. ‘He literally took one look at you and legged it.’
‘Yeah…Odd’.
‘You don’t think…. You don’t think he’s up to something again’.
‘I wouldn’t think so. Surely running would make it more obvious. No, he looked embarrassed.’
‘Maybe he was on a date with that guy and didn’t want to be caught…. you know…..’
‘What?’
‘You know, he probably wouldn’t want people finding out he’s gay.’ Ron responded. ‘Not that it wasn’t obvious’ he muttered under his breath.
But Harry was too busy dealing with this new bit of information to really notice Ron’s comment. Gay? He thought, confused why the fact annoyed him so much.
‘Not that its any of our business’ Ron continued.
But, he can’t be gay, Harry thought.
‘Anyway, do you want another pint?’
I would have noticed. People would have noticed.
‘Harry?’
Wasn’t he engaged to that Greengrass girl?
‘HARRY’ Ron shouted, halting Harry’s thoughts. ‘Mate, what is wrong! You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Surely Malfoy being gay isn’t that much of a shock, I mean, he stared at you long enough to make anyone suspicious.’
‘What-t?? He.. he didn’t stare-stare at me?’ Harry spluttered, flushing.
‘Harry….. why is this such a big deal to you?’ Ron asked, his voice coming out softer, as if he was afraid Harry would spook too.
‘Ughhhhhh. Sorry, I don’t know why this feels like such a big deal to me.’ He confined. ‘Maybe… maybe it’s because I watched him too – no Ron, NOT like that – and I am just surprised I never noticed. Like, I felt like I knew him, and not in a weird personal way, but like you know an enemy. I am just shocked is all.’
‘Well, I hope its not you having a homophobic crisis, cus if it is, I’m going to have to beat you into next week. Charlie is gay too, you know, and he has to deal with enough bullshit without his close friends and family being assholes’.
‘No. No Ron, I don’t have a problem with it. At least, I never have before. I just, ughhh, I don’t like HIM being gay.’
At this, Ron chuckled and rolled his eyes. ‘Why in God’s name not??’
But Harry didn’t have an answer. Ron, aware of Harrys prolonged discomfort, had the grace to let the comment slide.
‘I mean, we don’t even know if he is gay.’ Ron commented, turning once more to look at the man Malfoy had abandoned, now sat at the bar, talking to some other bloke. ‘Only one way to find out.’ At this, Ron got up from his seat and made his way to the bar, all the while with a shit-eating grin pasted all over his face.
Harry watched Ron’s interaction with the brunette, filled with shock at Ron’s boldness. They were only talking for about a minute, and when Ron returned to their table, Harry stared at him, unsure if he wanted to know what Ron had uncovered.
‘Yep.’ Ron said with a sigh. ‘Definitely gay. And, I think I know where we need to head to next.’
‘We are not stalking him!’ Harry replied indignantly.
‘Stalking? Who said anything about our plans involving Malfoy?.’
****
Harry was never going to trust Ron again. EVER.
He had followed his friend out of the pub, and they had made their way further into the centre of London. But instead of going to any of the bars or clubs the two men had ventured to before, Ron dragged him to a completely new bar.
‘A gay bar, Ron. Seriously?!’ Harry angrily whispered to him as they queued outside.
‘What?’ Ron said with feigned ignorance.
‘Whatever’ Harry grumbled as they handed over their ID to the bouncers.
‘Have a good night’, the burlier one of the bouncers said to Harry, winking as he passed back the ID.
Harry fought the flush that threatened to cover his whole face. Never in his whole life had he felt so uncomfortable. But he knew he was just overreacting, still reeling over the near-encounter with Malfoy.
Once they made their way inside, Harry discovered this wasn’t any ordinary gay bar, but a drag bar. However, as he and Ron were getting drinks, Harry surveyed his surroundings and found himself feeling far less uncomfortable than he thought he would. He had never judged or had a problem with the LQBTQ community before, and he was hardly going to start now.
‘Here you go. Two sex on the beach’s and a blow job each’, the bartender said, smiling at both men, and Harry saw Ron’s face turned nice shade of scarlet when the bartender winked at him.
They both made a quick job of downing the shots and made their way over to a free table. Sitting down, Harry found himself laughing at Ron’s obvious newfound discomfort.
‘This was all your idea.’ Harry stated gleefully.
The two men began a new conversation, talking about the new co-worker that had recently been transferred into their department. However, this conversation was cut short by a loud announcement.
‘Now, ladies and gentlemen, and all you beautiful people in-between, it is time for what you have all been waiting for.’ A voice rang out from the speakers on either side of the small stage Harry was only really noticing now.
‘Please welcome to the stage, Madam Dragon!!!’
Suddenly the small stage was lit up with bright headlights, revealing a central silhouette.
Music began to be played, and Harry recognized it from one of the films his Uncle and Aunt had ridiculed and refused to let him watch all the way through. Why don’t you do right? By Jessica Rabbit.
The figure began to dance around the stage, back facing the audience, but revealing a slim frame and platinum hair, curled to resemble that of Marylin Monroe’s. Harry found himself transfixed by this drag queen, who obviously knew her -his?- way around the stage. The fluidity of their movements as they swayed and moved their hips left Harry speechless. From the way Ron appeared to be staring, he wasn’t the only one. Yet when the chorus began, the figure spun, and Harry felt all the oxygen leave the room.
Malfoy? MALFOY? NO! What?
Yet despite his shock at this revelation, despite his desire to run from this place, Harry was still rooted to the spot, unable to turn away. Malfoy looked, well he looked good. Good in a way Harry never thought he, or anyone, could. Especially when in drag. Despite the identity revelation, Harry found his eyes continued to appreciate the way Malfoy, or Madam Dragon as he was called in drag, moved. He had red lipstick on which stood in stark contrast to his pale skin, and the white silk dress he wore.
Malfoy’s eyes flicked over both Ron and Harry time-and-time again, and Harry waited for the other to recognise them, but the lights appeared to be too bright. At one point, Malfoy directed a line of the song towards the two men. Harry tried to ignore how his stomach flipped when Malfoy lip-synched ‘Get out of here and get me some money too’ at him.
When the song ended, and Malfoy left the stage to take a break, Harry felt as if a spell had been lifted and suddenly, he could move again. He turned to Ron, ready to share the shock of seeing Malfoy in drag. But as he opened his mouth, he noticed Ron didn’t look as shocked as he should.
‘You knew? You Knew! And what, didn’t feel the need to warn me??’ Harry exploded.
‘Hey, hey, Harry, calm down. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Look, there is no way you would have come if you knew and there was no way I was going to miss this!! Can you imaging what everyone is going to say when they find out?’ Ron started, almost excitedly. But something in Harry said that he didn’t want others finding out. Not yet. Not until he can work out how he feels about it all.
‘No, Ron. We can’t.’
‘What? Can’t what harry??’
‘We cant tell people.’
‘What??!! Why the hell not!!??’ Ron said, taking Harrys place as the angry one.
‘Its not right Ron! Can’t we just, I don’t know, forget we saw this?’
‘You think either of us is going to be able to forget this?? Harry, don’t you want to, I don’t know, get back at him just a little for making our lives miserable for years.’
Harry sighed. He was over this. He was over everything coming back to the war. As far as Harry was concerned, the past stopped mattering the moment Voldemort stopped breathing.
‘No. I don’t care that he was a bastard at school. He has paid the price, and maliciously spreading this is only going to cause more problems.’
‘But..’ Ron began, deflating a little.
‘No. You cannot tell anyone, apart from Hermione.’ God, Harry knew the two were incapable of keeping secrets from each other.
‘Fine. Fine, whatever.’ Ron huffed, but he was smiling again soon enough. ‘I still cannot believe it!! Malfoy! A drag queen??!!’
Harry sighed, suddenly feeling too drunk, too tired. ‘Let’s go Ron. I’m done for the night and we have work tomorrow.’
With little resistance, both left the bar and made their way to their separate homes. Ron parted to join his fiancé Hermione, and Harry headed all the way back to Grimmauld Place, catching a cab.
Despite what Harry had said, he found the moment he closed his eyes to sleep, the image of Malfoy in red lipstick, a silk gown and short curly hair plagued his mind. He tossed and turned, trying to get to sleep. Yet every time he almost lost consciousness, the image of Malfoy flashed in his mind, and he was startled awake once again by his realisation: he had been indisputably attracted to Malfoy.