Every day after work Harry would go home and enjoy an ice cold beer. He would twist the cap, and put the cold bottle against his warm lips, and take a healthy slug of yeast and hops, the bubbles tickling his tongue, his whole body warming up to the slow feeling of relaxation. He would savor every last drop, and when he was done, he would toss the bottle in the bin, and start on dinner.
Every day.
It was the one comfort he awarded himself after a hard day's work. Whether he had been out in the field, or spent the day behind his desk, it always called for a hearty beverage at the end of it. There were days when he went out with his friends to have a pint, but those were few and far between.
Being a Senior Auror, he could only afford to do that type of thing on weekends, and he was almost always inevitably on call to rescue someone or something. So the prize that he gave himself every day, was for himself.
He had other alcohol in his house, but preferred to save those for special occasions. There hadn't been a special occasion in his life since winning the war two years ago, but that was neither here nor there.
Living and being alive were special occasions anyway, what with him dying that night of the Battle.
The bottle of Firewhiskey had already been opened one night, when Ginny had sat him down and told him that they weren't working out. She needed to be free, and didn't want to be tied down just yet.
She didn't want a family with a white picket fence, three kids and a cat. She wanted to travel, meet other people, she was a wild one, and wanted to stay wild for as long as she could.
He remembered that she had been nervous when telling him, but when he had stood up and poured them each a healthy dose of booze, she relaxed. Ranting about how her parents were going to take the news, Harry sat there and said he would go with her to tell them.
Not wanting to seem like a coward, she had said no. She would tell him however, what their reactions were, and suggest that he hide away for a couple months if it was necessary, making him laugh out loud.
His heart hadn't been broken that night, but after talking for hours, Harry realized three things.
One, was that he had never been in love with Ginny, he was more protective of her like a brother, Two.... he hated boobs.
They were too squishy in his opinion, abnormal and out of place, but he had kept that information to himself.
And three.
He liked looking at men. Their bodies were so much more easier to define and devour with his eyes. He had heard his friends saying they were either 'a legs man' or an 'arse man', and Harry knew what that meant, but girls were too soft. Too needy, and far too demanding. He had seen what Ron went through.
That wasn't the life he wanted, so he had told Ginny the same thing that night, causing her laughter to bubble out of her chest, and left him with a kiss on his cheek.
Harry shared an office with another Senior Auror, a man who had until quite recently been a thorn in his side. But his knowledge of dark magic and curses made them quite the team, and they always surfaced winners after a case was closed.
Draco Malfoy. Acquitted of all charges, not even having the mark on his left forearm, as so many people had said he did, he had served no time in Azkaban. Being placed in the holding cells just before his trial, had Harry, Ron and Hermoine throw a huge tantrum about how the Ministry were treating kids - because they were just kids -
Draco had attended his trial, been given a shot of Veritaserum, and proceeded to tell them everything that he had been privy to before, during and after the war. No personal questions were asked, thank Merlin, and so he was released after hearing first hand, that he was a boy who had no choice.
