Chapter Text
Dating Draco Malfoy had its perks. There was no denying that for Harry.
Sitting in the common room, staring at the flames in the fireplace, Harry let his thumb draw circles on Draco's shoulder.
After the first few days of awkwardness, he rarely left Harry's side now, always touching him somewhere, which Harry appreciated greatly.
He couldn't imagine ever getting bored of Draco, or not wanting him around.
The downside of this, however, was that someone had seen an opportunity and taken it.
Something Harry should have seen coming.
The headline of the Daily Prophet had him feeling murderous.
Dating Potter: How a Death Eater stole the Chosen One’s heart
Pictures of Draco at his trial, looking terrified and unhealthy, and random shots of Harry that the Prophet had printed over the years.
Harry knew that this would happen one day, though he had hoped that it would be after they finished their last school year.
Someone had seen their chance for a quick buck and ran with it.
Now the papers were full of speculations, and people writing in to air their disbelief and suggestions of testing Harry about the use of Love Potions on him.
Harry thought he had seen the worst people could come up with.
But the next day over breakfast, he was proven wrong.
A black owl landed in front of them. Eyes fixed on Draco, it lifted its leg so he could untie a letter before flying off again immediately.
Draco looked as puzzled as Harry felt.
He hadn’t received any letters since their return, besides the one Narcissa had sent via Kreacher.
Watching as Draco turned the letter to look at the seal, Harry's stomach dropped.
Azkaban.
Moving without thinking, Harry crept closer to Draco, letting his hand rest on Draco's thigh.
“What the hell do they want?” Harry asked quietly.
“Wouldn't be surprised if someone found a reason to throw me into prison just to get me away from you,” Draco said, voice full of venom.
Harry snorted. “They can try. You're not going anywhere, I'd rather throw you over my shoulder and drag you out of the country than let them take you.”
Draco grinned, placing a quick kiss on Harry's temple before returning his attention to the letter.
Breaking the seal, Draco started to read, his hands shaking more and more with every passing second.
“What is it? What do they want?” Harry asked quietly.
Draco only shook his head, closing the letter and roughly shoving it into his bag. “I need some air. Will you walk with me?”
Standing immediately, Harry held his hand out to help Draco get up.
Following him out of the castle, Harry watched as Draco's anger seemed to grow with every step until he abruptly came to a halt at the lake, turning to look at Harry.
His eyes were glistening with unshed tears, anger cutting through his handsome face, making him look like he was about to break something.
“What happened?” Harry asked quietly, taking a step closer. “What do they want?”
“It's not they!” Draco spat. “Here. Look at this!”
Draco retrieved the letter from his bag and shoved it into Harry's hands so he could read it.
The writing inside the letter was a mess, scrawled and barely readable.
Lucius Malfoy had seen the articles.
The letter itself was nothing but the ramblings of a madman. Borderline insane, maybe worse. It was clear that he saw their relationship as Draco trying to bring his family back into their once powerful place. Their rightful place, according to Lucius.
Harry stopped reading after half of it.
“He's gone insane,” Harry said, looking at Draco who was still shaking from anger.
“Don't you see that that's what people think? What they really think when they see us together? Father is just the only one we know personally who's saying it out loud!”
“Let them,” Harry said, shrugging. “People will always talk, no matter what we do.”
“Let the—Harry people think I cursed you, that I'm using you for some nefarious reason!”
“But you're not. And your father won't be out for another few months. Draco, look at me.” Taking another step closer, Harry reached out to cup Draco's cheek, stroking his face carefully. “None of this is an issue we have to deal with. Let them talk. They'll find something more interesting soon. And we'll deal with Lucius once he's out of Azkaban. We'll make it all work.”
Closing his eyes, Draco leaned into Harry's touch. “You'll get tired of me, and of all the lies and speculations, and my crazy father.”
So this was what all this really was about.
Pulling Draco into a hug, Harry briefly buried his nose in Draco's neck to breathe him in, kissing him on the spot that usually made him squirm.
“I'm already halfway to utterly and soul-crushingly in love with you, Draco Malfoy. I will not allow anyone to take this from us. Not the press, not other people’s opinion, and especially not your father.”
Sinking against Harry, Draco let out a shaky breath. “How can you be so sure that things will be alright?”
“Because I've never been good at listening to people telling me what to do and what not to do,” Harry said, slightly amused. “And neither of us were ever good at staying away from each other. So I fear you're stuck with me, if you'll have me.”
Draco let go of him, smiling as he took a step back to wipe his eyes and look at Harry. “We'll see who's stuck with whom in the end. Because I definitely got the better catch here.”
Harry laughed. “I doubt that.”
“So we'll deal with this later?” Draco said, nodding at the letter in Harry's hand. “Together?”
“Yes. Together.”