Undesirable - COMPLETE
folder
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
31
Views:
43,516
Reviews:
301
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
31
Views:
43,516
Reviews:
301
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Irregular
Chapter Number/Total: 19/31
Chapter Title: Irregular
Words: 2982 Words
Draco collected the morning mail and the paper from the owl, sitting down at the breakfast table with Harry. He was still smiling happily, thinking about the new touching they had done, but his smile fell when he saw the official-looking envelope in the mail – the crest of St Mungo's on the seal.
Harry was reaching for a piece of a toast when he saw the look on Draco's face. "What's wrong?" he asked, as he took a bite out of the bread.
Draco blinked and then worked to control his face, trying to appear unconcerned. "Oh, probably nothing. I did send the letter to my supervisors letting them know they had to assign you to a new Healer," he said. He broke the seal and unfolded the parchment, scanning it quickly.
Harry watched him as he continued to eat, finishing his toast while he waited to hear what was said in the letter.
"It's my supervisors at St Mungo's," Draco explained. "They want me to bring you in for an evaluation of your progress and to find you a new Healer if needed." He didn't add that they also wanted to "review" Draco's performance with Harry.
Harry frowned a little, but nodded, knowing that it would probably happen anyway. "I don't like being there," he said softly, sighing. "But I won't have to stay in St Mungo’s again, right?"
Draco very much hoped that his supervisors wouldn't interfere. Yet, this was an expected reaction to his withdrawal from the case, especially when they found out he planned to continue living with Harry. "I think they will be pleased with the progress you have made," he told Harry.
Harry smiled a little, liking the words he heard coming from the other man. Still, he couldn't help but worry that the other Healers wouldn't feel the same. "Do we have to go? When?"
"Tomorrow," Draco said. He reached a hand out to take Harry's. "You just need to talk to the Healer they assign for the evaluation. The fact that you are able to do that is a big step from before."
"I'll have to talk about that stuff again?" Harry asked, frowning and beginning to fidget.
Draco paused, trying to imagine what his supervisors would be most concerned with. "I don't know if you will have to talk about the past this time, but they might ask. They will want to know that you understand where you are now."
Harry nodded, but he was still worried. "Okay," he said, reaching for another piece of toast. He put it on Draco's plate and pushed it towards him.
Draco chuckled. "All right, I can take a hint," he said, reaching to butter the toast. He was nervous about the evaluations, but he also knew it was necessary.
Draco spent most of the day getting his notes in order so that he would be able to present the case for review. He still slept in Harry's bed that night, holding him, but was uncomfortably aware of the way he had crossed the line. He had even altered some portions of his notes from those he would be showing his supervisor. He had removed any references to Harry's attempts to "thank him" with sex and his request for Draco to "show him" sex could feel good.
***
Now they were getting ready for the trip to St Mungo's. Draco pulled out his green Healer's robes, frowning as he wondered if he would ever wear them again.
Harry pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He was nervous. He still wasn't sure of what the supervisor was going to ask him and it made him scared, since she was the one who could make him stay in the hospital again. He didn’t think he could handle that.
Draco tried to smile reassuringly, handing Harry Floo powder when they stood in front of the fireplace. "You go through first?" he suggested.
"Can't you go with me?" Harry asked, taking the Floo powder from him.
"I will be right behind you," Draco assured him. "But it might help show them you are doing better if you can Floo on your own."
Harry bit his lip, but nodded, picking up some of the powder in his hand. He turned to the fire and threw it in and then clearly said the name of the hospital. Taking a deep breath, Harry then stepped into the green flames.
Draco did the same, following close enough behind that he had to be careful not to trip over Harry when he arrived.
"Now where do we go?" Harry asked Draco, staying closer to the other man.
Draco had to resist the urge to reach for Harry's hand. He led the way to the lift and took them up to the fourth floor.
Harry clasped his hands in front of him as he walked, curiously looking around the halls. It was strange to be back here again. He wondered if he'd see his old room.
Healer Rodgers met them just outside the reception area for the ward. "Healer Malfoy, Mr Potter," she acknowledged, nodding to both of them. She held out a hand to Harry and Draco knew she was testing him already.
"Hello," Harry greeted, looking at her hand before reaching out tentatively to shake it.
She smiled at him. "It's very nice to see you, Mr Potter," she said. Another Healer stepped up beside her and she gestured. "This is Healer Dodson. She is going to be evaluating you today."
Harry gave them a small smile and nodded, trying not to let her see how nervous he was feeling and mess everything up.
Healer Dodson held out her hand, too. "I am glad I get to speak with you, Mr Potter. Will you come sit and talk with me?"
"Okay," Harry answered, taking her hand and gently shaking it before pulling his hand back. He glanced nervously at Draco, waiting for Dodson to show him where they were going. He didn’t like being away from Draco.
Draco was glad to see Harry responding well. He smiled reassuringly at him. “You will do fine,” he told him.
Healer Dodson led Harry to a small room with a couple of chairs and a sofa. "Make yourself comfortable, Mr Potter. Can I call you Harry?"
Harry gave Draco one more look before he followed the woman inside, glancing around the small room. "You can," he answered quietly, sitting down on the sofa he saw.
She sat on one of the chairs, quill and paper on a small table nearby. "I hope you don't mind, but we always start with simple questions and then work our way to more complex ones. Especially given that during your last evaluation you didn't answer any of them."
"Sorry," Harry said, folding his legs up underneath him comfortably. He realized that this was the first time that he was speaking to someone alone without Draco around in a very long time. He didn't know what to think about that.
She asked him his name, age, the year and other general questions at first, smiling as she took notes. "So how do you feel you are doing, Harry?"
"I think I'm doing okay," Harry told her, pushing his hair away from his face.
"Tell me about that, Harry. Maybe you could describe what your life has been like since you moved back home," she suggested.
Harry nodded slightly and thought about what to say. "When I first got back I was scared," he admitted quietly, looking over at the woman as he spoke. "Since it had been so long. But I managed to adjust ... and it got better."
"Harry, I need to you be more specific," she said. "Do you still have nightmares? What is your daily life like? What do you do with your time now? As much as you can tell me about your life on an average day."
"Sometimes I still do have them," Harry answered, looking down at his lap as he tried to explain better. "Now I just ... I wake up, Draco and I have breakfast, sometimes I read. Sometimes we talk. Or go for walks."
"What do you talk about?" Dodson asked.
Harry shrugged and ran a hand through his hair as he thought. He wasn't sure of what was right to say and what wasn't. "Sometimes we talk about the dreams I have. Only when I want to, though."
"Can you tell me about your dreams?" Dodson asked.
"Yeah, I guess so," Harry mumbled, biting his lip. "Most of them are just memories of what they were doing to me." He felt his chest tighten and his body begin to shake. So he focused on the image of Draco. Draco was nearby, he reminded himself.
"Such as ...."
Harry shook his head, not wanting to start thinking about it yet again. "Do I have to?" he asked, his voice a little shaky.
"Not today," she said with a sigh. "But you are aware that Healer Malfoy has asked to be taken off your case, right?"
"Yes, I know," Harry said, hoping he hadn't disappointed the woman.
"Do you know why?" she asked.
"Do you?" Harry asked in reply.
She raised an eyebrow. "Are you upset with him?"
"No," Harry answered, shaking his head. He was anything but angry with Draco. He could never be.
"So what reason did he give you?"
"He told me that we were friends now. Close friends. He can't be my therapist and my friend, so he decided to be taken off the case," Harry answered quietly. It was true, he thought, even if it wasn’t the whole answer.
"You knew him before he became your Healer, didn't you? How did you feel about him before?" she asked.
"Well, I didn't like him," Harry said, thinking about his days in Hogwarts with Draco. "Things have changed now, though."
"Do you feel you are well enough to live without in-home supervision?" Dodson asked.
"Yes. I don't want to live alone, though. I think I could do it, but ... if I had the choice, I don't want to be alone," Harry said honestly, looking up at her.
"What do you expect to happen, then? Won't Malfoy have to go back to work as a Healer if you aren't his patient?" she asked.
"He's staying with me, though," Harry murmured softly.
Dodson looked surprised, taking notes for a moment. "I need to know if you are going to be able to continue your treatment as an outpatient, Harry. Do you think you will be able to talk with me each week?"
"I can do that," Harry said with a small nod, sitting up a little straighter when he realised that this meant the session was over.
***
Draco watched Harry go with Dodson. He hoped that Harry would do well with her. He didn’t think Harry would tell about their relationship, but he worried that if the other Healer pushed him too hard, he might relapse.
Healer Rodgers led him into her office and had him take a seat while she sat behind her cluttered desk. Draco didn’t know how she managed to find anything in the mess.
“Your reports have been very encouraging, Draco,” she began. “So you can understand my surprise when you asked to be removed from the case.”
“I have been clear from the onset that I didn’t feel it was appropriate to assign this case to me,” Draco replied, leaning back in the chair and trying to look calmer than he felt.
“Yet, you have managed to help Potter when no one else could,” she pointed out. “Why withdraw now when what you have been doing is actually working?”
Draco pursed his lips. “I intend to stay on at Potter’s house as a caregiver, not as his Healer,” he explained.
Rodgers frowned at that. “What about your work?”
“I will be taking an indefinite leave,” Draco responded.
His supervisor sat forward, leaning on her desk. “I don’t understand your reasoning here, Draco. You get paid to take care of the patient now. Why not continue as his Healer if you will still be there?”
“That’s exactly it. I don’t want to be paid to take care of Potter,” he said. He fidgeted with the sleeve of his robes. “I am too close to this case. I always was. I’ll continue to help Harry, but as his friend, not his Healer.”
“That’s most irregular, Draco,” Rodgers insisted. “You have been his Healer, so you already have a patient-therapist relationship with him.”
Draco clenched a hand on the arm of his chair. “This entire case has been irregular,” he snapped. “I was never an objective person in this and you well know that. I made my objections clear even then.”
She seemed to recoil a bit from the heat in his voice, shaking her head. “I can see this is personal for you. Maybe you should come back to work and not continue any of Potter’s care.”
“No,” Draco said, jaw set.
“Healer Malfoy,” she said with a sigh. “I can’t condone you living with the patient if you are not under the supervision of this hospital.”
“He won’t be my patient,” Draco insisted. “I will be there as … his friend. And Harry can come in for therapy as needed.”
“It doesn’t work like that, Draco, and you know it. We can’t have our Healers in unprofessional relationships with the patients .…”
Draco’s temper flared and he scowled at the woman. “Now you say that, but when I raised that objection, I was told that anything that would help Harry was more important than the hospital rules!”
“Calm down, Malfoy,” Rodgers insisted, holding up a hand.
Draco had risen halfway up from his seat, but forced himself to sit back down and take several deep breaths.
They were both quiet for a minute, and finally Rodgers shook her head and sighed. “I will have to bring this up at the staff meeting. You can present your proposal there.”
Draco shook his head again. “No, I won’t,” he said, standing up now. “I am taking the leave of absence as of this moment. I will be staying with Harry to provide the support he needs. I will help him get to his appointments and his new Healer can evaluate his progress.”
Rodgers looked both shocked and angry again. She stood when he did. “And if the Healer determines the patient needs to return to the hospital for more extensive care?”
It was a threat and Draco knew it. He paused, turning back to her. “Potter is doing well. He will probably continue to do better if he remains in his home, and with help. But if you force him back to St Mungo’s you would be risking a major set-back, maybe even a complete relapse. Rules or not, I don’t think anyone wants that.” His voice was cold, but calm, and he was gratified with the way her eyes widened. She realised that he could make it public if that happened.
It took her a minute to compose herself and Draco walked to the door. His hand was on the doorknob when she spoke again. “We will need to send someone to evaluate his living conditions,” she added.
“If that is what you need to do,” Draco answered, tired of this now. He realised he might have ruined his chance at ever returning to his position at St Mungo’s. He opened the door and stepped out into the hall. It was only a few minutes later that Harry emerged as well.
Harry was thankful that the session was over, glad to have made it through without breaking down. He walked out in front of the woman and looked up at Draco when he saw him, a small smile on his face.
Worried as he was, Draco couldn't help smiling when he saw Harry. "How are you doing?" he asked him, hand curling against his robes as he resisted the urge to reach for him.
"I'm alright," Harry replied, walking over closer. He wanted to reach out and take the man's hand, but they were still in front of the two Healers.
"Let's get you home," Draco said, gesturing toward the lift.
Harry nodded, and walked toward the lift, glancing back once to wave goodbye to the Healers.
Draco didn't look back, only allowing himself to glance up at the two women conferring as he and Harry stood in the lift. The door closed and they began the descent to the ground floor and the Floo.
Harry reached for Draco's hand as soon as the doors closed, squeezing it gently.
Draco looked at him then, smiling at Harry. He didn't say anything as people got on and off the lift at different floors. On the ground floor, he led them to the Floo and handed Harry the powder.
Harry took the powder and threw it into the fire before stepping in, clearly saying his home's name. He kind of wanted to go with Draco, but he didn't ask.
Stepping out of the Floo at Grimmauld Place, Draco sighed in relief and reached for Harry, wrapping his arms around the other man.
Harry turned in Draco's arms, hugging him tightly. "I only have to go back once a week," he mumbled into his robes.
"Did you like Dodson?" Draco asked, petting Harry's hair.
"She was okay," Harry answered, looking up at him. "Asked a lot of questions ...."
"That's her job, you know," Draco assured him. "She is your Healer now, not me."
"I know ... you're my lover," Harry said softly, giving Draco a big smile.
Draco grinned too, bringing one hand up to cup Harry's cheek. "Oh, I do like the sound of that," he whispered.
"Me too," Harry said, leaning up more to kiss Draco gently.
Chapter Title: Irregular
Words: 2982 Words
Draco collected the morning mail and the paper from the owl, sitting down at the breakfast table with Harry. He was still smiling happily, thinking about the new touching they had done, but his smile fell when he saw the official-looking envelope in the mail – the crest of St Mungo's on the seal.
Harry was reaching for a piece of a toast when he saw the look on Draco's face. "What's wrong?" he asked, as he took a bite out of the bread.
Draco blinked and then worked to control his face, trying to appear unconcerned. "Oh, probably nothing. I did send the letter to my supervisors letting them know they had to assign you to a new Healer," he said. He broke the seal and unfolded the parchment, scanning it quickly.
Harry watched him as he continued to eat, finishing his toast while he waited to hear what was said in the letter.
"It's my supervisors at St Mungo's," Draco explained. "They want me to bring you in for an evaluation of your progress and to find you a new Healer if needed." He didn't add that they also wanted to "review" Draco's performance with Harry.
Harry frowned a little, but nodded, knowing that it would probably happen anyway. "I don't like being there," he said softly, sighing. "But I won't have to stay in St Mungo’s again, right?"
Draco very much hoped that his supervisors wouldn't interfere. Yet, this was an expected reaction to his withdrawal from the case, especially when they found out he planned to continue living with Harry. "I think they will be pleased with the progress you have made," he told Harry.
Harry smiled a little, liking the words he heard coming from the other man. Still, he couldn't help but worry that the other Healers wouldn't feel the same. "Do we have to go? When?"
"Tomorrow," Draco said. He reached a hand out to take Harry's. "You just need to talk to the Healer they assign for the evaluation. The fact that you are able to do that is a big step from before."
"I'll have to talk about that stuff again?" Harry asked, frowning and beginning to fidget.
Draco paused, trying to imagine what his supervisors would be most concerned with. "I don't know if you will have to talk about the past this time, but they might ask. They will want to know that you understand where you are now."
Harry nodded, but he was still worried. "Okay," he said, reaching for another piece of toast. He put it on Draco's plate and pushed it towards him.
Draco chuckled. "All right, I can take a hint," he said, reaching to butter the toast. He was nervous about the evaluations, but he also knew it was necessary.
Draco spent most of the day getting his notes in order so that he would be able to present the case for review. He still slept in Harry's bed that night, holding him, but was uncomfortably aware of the way he had crossed the line. He had even altered some portions of his notes from those he would be showing his supervisor. He had removed any references to Harry's attempts to "thank him" with sex and his request for Draco to "show him" sex could feel good.
***
Now they were getting ready for the trip to St Mungo's. Draco pulled out his green Healer's robes, frowning as he wondered if he would ever wear them again.
Harry pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He was nervous. He still wasn't sure of what the supervisor was going to ask him and it made him scared, since she was the one who could make him stay in the hospital again. He didn’t think he could handle that.
Draco tried to smile reassuringly, handing Harry Floo powder when they stood in front of the fireplace. "You go through first?" he suggested.
"Can't you go with me?" Harry asked, taking the Floo powder from him.
"I will be right behind you," Draco assured him. "But it might help show them you are doing better if you can Floo on your own."
Harry bit his lip, but nodded, picking up some of the powder in his hand. He turned to the fire and threw it in and then clearly said the name of the hospital. Taking a deep breath, Harry then stepped into the green flames.
Draco did the same, following close enough behind that he had to be careful not to trip over Harry when he arrived.
"Now where do we go?" Harry asked Draco, staying closer to the other man.
Draco had to resist the urge to reach for Harry's hand. He led the way to the lift and took them up to the fourth floor.
Harry clasped his hands in front of him as he walked, curiously looking around the halls. It was strange to be back here again. He wondered if he'd see his old room.
Healer Rodgers met them just outside the reception area for the ward. "Healer Malfoy, Mr Potter," she acknowledged, nodding to both of them. She held out a hand to Harry and Draco knew she was testing him already.
"Hello," Harry greeted, looking at her hand before reaching out tentatively to shake it.
She smiled at him. "It's very nice to see you, Mr Potter," she said. Another Healer stepped up beside her and she gestured. "This is Healer Dodson. She is going to be evaluating you today."
Harry gave them a small smile and nodded, trying not to let her see how nervous he was feeling and mess everything up.
Healer Dodson held out her hand, too. "I am glad I get to speak with you, Mr Potter. Will you come sit and talk with me?"
"Okay," Harry answered, taking her hand and gently shaking it before pulling his hand back. He glanced nervously at Draco, waiting for Dodson to show him where they were going. He didn’t like being away from Draco.
Draco was glad to see Harry responding well. He smiled reassuringly at him. “You will do fine,” he told him.
Healer Dodson led Harry to a small room with a couple of chairs and a sofa. "Make yourself comfortable, Mr Potter. Can I call you Harry?"
Harry gave Draco one more look before he followed the woman inside, glancing around the small room. "You can," he answered quietly, sitting down on the sofa he saw.
She sat on one of the chairs, quill and paper on a small table nearby. "I hope you don't mind, but we always start with simple questions and then work our way to more complex ones. Especially given that during your last evaluation you didn't answer any of them."
"Sorry," Harry said, folding his legs up underneath him comfortably. He realized that this was the first time that he was speaking to someone alone without Draco around in a very long time. He didn't know what to think about that.
She asked him his name, age, the year and other general questions at first, smiling as she took notes. "So how do you feel you are doing, Harry?"
"I think I'm doing okay," Harry told her, pushing his hair away from his face.
"Tell me about that, Harry. Maybe you could describe what your life has been like since you moved back home," she suggested.
Harry nodded slightly and thought about what to say. "When I first got back I was scared," he admitted quietly, looking over at the woman as he spoke. "Since it had been so long. But I managed to adjust ... and it got better."
"Harry, I need to you be more specific," she said. "Do you still have nightmares? What is your daily life like? What do you do with your time now? As much as you can tell me about your life on an average day."
"Sometimes I still do have them," Harry answered, looking down at his lap as he tried to explain better. "Now I just ... I wake up, Draco and I have breakfast, sometimes I read. Sometimes we talk. Or go for walks."
"What do you talk about?" Dodson asked.
Harry shrugged and ran a hand through his hair as he thought. He wasn't sure of what was right to say and what wasn't. "Sometimes we talk about the dreams I have. Only when I want to, though."
"Can you tell me about your dreams?" Dodson asked.
"Yeah, I guess so," Harry mumbled, biting his lip. "Most of them are just memories of what they were doing to me." He felt his chest tighten and his body begin to shake. So he focused on the image of Draco. Draco was nearby, he reminded himself.
"Such as ...."
Harry shook his head, not wanting to start thinking about it yet again. "Do I have to?" he asked, his voice a little shaky.
"Not today," she said with a sigh. "But you are aware that Healer Malfoy has asked to be taken off your case, right?"
"Yes, I know," Harry said, hoping he hadn't disappointed the woman.
"Do you know why?" she asked.
"Do you?" Harry asked in reply.
She raised an eyebrow. "Are you upset with him?"
"No," Harry answered, shaking his head. He was anything but angry with Draco. He could never be.
"So what reason did he give you?"
"He told me that we were friends now. Close friends. He can't be my therapist and my friend, so he decided to be taken off the case," Harry answered quietly. It was true, he thought, even if it wasn’t the whole answer.
"You knew him before he became your Healer, didn't you? How did you feel about him before?" she asked.
"Well, I didn't like him," Harry said, thinking about his days in Hogwarts with Draco. "Things have changed now, though."
"Do you feel you are well enough to live without in-home supervision?" Dodson asked.
"Yes. I don't want to live alone, though. I think I could do it, but ... if I had the choice, I don't want to be alone," Harry said honestly, looking up at her.
"What do you expect to happen, then? Won't Malfoy have to go back to work as a Healer if you aren't his patient?" she asked.
"He's staying with me, though," Harry murmured softly.
Dodson looked surprised, taking notes for a moment. "I need to know if you are going to be able to continue your treatment as an outpatient, Harry. Do you think you will be able to talk with me each week?"
"I can do that," Harry said with a small nod, sitting up a little straighter when he realised that this meant the session was over.
***
Draco watched Harry go with Dodson. He hoped that Harry would do well with her. He didn’t think Harry would tell about their relationship, but he worried that if the other Healer pushed him too hard, he might relapse.
Healer Rodgers led him into her office and had him take a seat while she sat behind her cluttered desk. Draco didn’t know how she managed to find anything in the mess.
“Your reports have been very encouraging, Draco,” she began. “So you can understand my surprise when you asked to be removed from the case.”
“I have been clear from the onset that I didn’t feel it was appropriate to assign this case to me,” Draco replied, leaning back in the chair and trying to look calmer than he felt.
“Yet, you have managed to help Potter when no one else could,” she pointed out. “Why withdraw now when what you have been doing is actually working?”
Draco pursed his lips. “I intend to stay on at Potter’s house as a caregiver, not as his Healer,” he explained.
Rodgers frowned at that. “What about your work?”
“I will be taking an indefinite leave,” Draco responded.
His supervisor sat forward, leaning on her desk. “I don’t understand your reasoning here, Draco. You get paid to take care of the patient now. Why not continue as his Healer if you will still be there?”
“That’s exactly it. I don’t want to be paid to take care of Potter,” he said. He fidgeted with the sleeve of his robes. “I am too close to this case. I always was. I’ll continue to help Harry, but as his friend, not his Healer.”
“That’s most irregular, Draco,” Rodgers insisted. “You have been his Healer, so you already have a patient-therapist relationship with him.”
Draco clenched a hand on the arm of his chair. “This entire case has been irregular,” he snapped. “I was never an objective person in this and you well know that. I made my objections clear even then.”
She seemed to recoil a bit from the heat in his voice, shaking her head. “I can see this is personal for you. Maybe you should come back to work and not continue any of Potter’s care.”
“No,” Draco said, jaw set.
“Healer Malfoy,” she said with a sigh. “I can’t condone you living with the patient if you are not under the supervision of this hospital.”
“He won’t be my patient,” Draco insisted. “I will be there as … his friend. And Harry can come in for therapy as needed.”
“It doesn’t work like that, Draco, and you know it. We can’t have our Healers in unprofessional relationships with the patients .…”
Draco’s temper flared and he scowled at the woman. “Now you say that, but when I raised that objection, I was told that anything that would help Harry was more important than the hospital rules!”
“Calm down, Malfoy,” Rodgers insisted, holding up a hand.
Draco had risen halfway up from his seat, but forced himself to sit back down and take several deep breaths.
They were both quiet for a minute, and finally Rodgers shook her head and sighed. “I will have to bring this up at the staff meeting. You can present your proposal there.”
Draco shook his head again. “No, I won’t,” he said, standing up now. “I am taking the leave of absence as of this moment. I will be staying with Harry to provide the support he needs. I will help him get to his appointments and his new Healer can evaluate his progress.”
Rodgers looked both shocked and angry again. She stood when he did. “And if the Healer determines the patient needs to return to the hospital for more extensive care?”
It was a threat and Draco knew it. He paused, turning back to her. “Potter is doing well. He will probably continue to do better if he remains in his home, and with help. But if you force him back to St Mungo’s you would be risking a major set-back, maybe even a complete relapse. Rules or not, I don’t think anyone wants that.” His voice was cold, but calm, and he was gratified with the way her eyes widened. She realised that he could make it public if that happened.
It took her a minute to compose herself and Draco walked to the door. His hand was on the doorknob when she spoke again. “We will need to send someone to evaluate his living conditions,” she added.
“If that is what you need to do,” Draco answered, tired of this now. He realised he might have ruined his chance at ever returning to his position at St Mungo’s. He opened the door and stepped out into the hall. It was only a few minutes later that Harry emerged as well.
Harry was thankful that the session was over, glad to have made it through without breaking down. He walked out in front of the woman and looked up at Draco when he saw him, a small smile on his face.
Worried as he was, Draco couldn't help smiling when he saw Harry. "How are you doing?" he asked him, hand curling against his robes as he resisted the urge to reach for him.
"I'm alright," Harry replied, walking over closer. He wanted to reach out and take the man's hand, but they were still in front of the two Healers.
"Let's get you home," Draco said, gesturing toward the lift.
Harry nodded, and walked toward the lift, glancing back once to wave goodbye to the Healers.
Draco didn't look back, only allowing himself to glance up at the two women conferring as he and Harry stood in the lift. The door closed and they began the descent to the ground floor and the Floo.
Harry reached for Draco's hand as soon as the doors closed, squeezing it gently.
Draco looked at him then, smiling at Harry. He didn't say anything as people got on and off the lift at different floors. On the ground floor, he led them to the Floo and handed Harry the powder.
Harry took the powder and threw it into the fire before stepping in, clearly saying his home's name. He kind of wanted to go with Draco, but he didn't ask.
Stepping out of the Floo at Grimmauld Place, Draco sighed in relief and reached for Harry, wrapping his arms around the other man.
Harry turned in Draco's arms, hugging him tightly. "I only have to go back once a week," he mumbled into his robes.
"Did you like Dodson?" Draco asked, petting Harry's hair.
"She was okay," Harry answered, looking up at him. "Asked a lot of questions ...."
"That's her job, you know," Draco assured him. "She is your Healer now, not me."
"I know ... you're my lover," Harry said softly, giving Draco a big smile.
Draco grinned too, bringing one hand up to cup Harry's cheek. "Oh, I do like the sound of that," he whispered.
"Me too," Harry said, leaning up more to kiss Draco gently.