A Dark Time For The Light

25

Their weekend passed fairly desultorily. Hermione and Ginny spent a lot of time in their station, mainly on the Internet or in bed, emerging mainly at mealtimes. Sunday, they had a small troop of visitors and the girls showed Ron and Draco how it all worked. Most of it went over Ron’s head, but Draco was fascinated, especially by the web-site the she and Ibrahim were building. Coded and passworded to the hilt, they were building a contact site for the exclusive use of Wizards and Witches in distress. By the laying of clues like breadcrumbs that only Magical folk of sixteen or over could discern, the path could be followed to the Auror available to dowse the enquirer. For this they devised a quiz using elements of their schooling, Potions ingredients for example, that only fifth-year or higher could possibly know.

Monday morning, and Draco rose with the alarm, not without a twinge of envy as he looked at Harry’s prone form beneath the blankets. He gathered his stuff and went to shower. He’d deliberately risen an hour earlier. This morning he had to find his own way to work and wrestle with the rest of commuter London.

It was Hell.

The line he was to use had an outage further along and everyone had to change. Harry had shown him how the Tube worked and the linking stations and the intersections, but being carried along in this surging mass of humanity was giving Draco a headache. He switched to another line and glanced nervously at the map counting off the stations, then another line change and he was on his way, albeit squeezed in amongst silent, sullen, strap-hanging commuters. He was sure he could feel someone frotting against his arse and whipped his head round. A short bald man turned away red-faced. Draco leaned down and hissed, “Try that again baldie, and I’ll feed you your fucking bollocks”. The rest of the journey passed without incident.

Despite the fact that he had given himself an extra hour, he was still twenty minutes late on-site, he was cursing as he entered the prefab that was their headquarters. He apologised profusely, to see champagne being quaffed by the team, “What the hell?”, he spun round, they all held champagne. Jacinta passed him a glass, “Sod being late, Draco. We’re celebrating. All due to your fine work, we’ve been asked to go to Derbyshire and restore a Long Gallery’s gilding. It’s about two months work and a real feather in your cap, Draco. It’s one of the most important stately homes in England, this could make your reputation, love”.

Gobsmacked was too mild a term as she told him. Which stately home. He swallowed his champagne in a single gulp, holding out his glass for a refill. Ohmygod. There?!!!. He couldn’t refuse, he just couldn’t. But. Two months away from Harry. His heart sank. He was at war with himself. “God, this is brilliant”, he murmured, his shock obvious, “But I’ll have to tell Harry”, he subsided.

Jacinta laid a hand on his arm, “Please, Draco. We’ve only got this job because of you. Oh, and all of our salaries will be substantially increased”, she handed him a draft copy of the terms. He coughed and gasped as he saw his share. Eight weeks work. Twelve and a half grand. No-brainer really. He accepted on the spot to the relieved grins of his colleagues, all of whom had deferred their courses until their next college year to take on a project of this importance. They all cheered and drank more champagne.

As they left that night, Marcus, one of the boys, asked, “How come you live in the plebby East End, Draco?”. The blond smiled, “It’s cheap and cheerful. Remember this is my first paying gig. If more work comes our way, then we’ll move. Harry’s already talking about us finding a flat instead of a grotty bedsit, but when you’re on the dole.....”, he let his voice taper off, hoping he sounded convincing. Marcus nodded, “Yeah. Signing on’s a bastard. They’ve always got their noses in your business”. They said their farewells and parted for the night.

Draco had an uneventful journey home, being crushed into a compartment devoid of air and full of equally knackered commuters. He smiled slightly as he regarded his fellow travellers. ‘You lot go home to daylight outside your windows. My home is another station just like the one we’re pulling into and I’m a squatter on the run from Magical law enforcement’. Just then, he felt more in tune with the press of muggles around him, all headed home after a day’s work and quite saw Harry’s point about leading an ordinary life. In some respects, ordinariness had a lot going for it.

He tipped into the Bunker and into Harry’s arms to be welcomed by a long sweet kiss. He pulled Harry to their room, “You’re going to hate me for this Harry”, as they stumbled down the corridor. Draco kissed Harry again.. Then told him. Of a once in a lifetime job offer. Harry was stunned. “Of course you must do it. Look, Dragon, we spent nearly two years apart. A couple of months? We can hack it. We can meet halfway for illicit weekends in random hotels. We’re only a couple of hours train ride from each other, love. You’d be daft not to accept an opportunity like this”. Draco threw his arms around his beloved and kissed him senseless.

Eventually they slept in a heap of sweaty limbs. Heated breath dampening hair and skin, so close were they as sleep overcame them.

Draco peeled himself away and went to get ready for his day. He entered work on time and beaming. That afternoon they signed the new contract. Draco felt a nervous bubble in his gut as his signature flourished along the dotted line.

That night on the Tube home, he reflected on being a worker, a highly skilled artisan, a trade he’d picked up almost by accident, bored over the summer holidays, wandering over to the teams of workers restoring the East wing after a minor fire. His first lover. Robin the gilder, who’d proceeded to show the boy his craft. The lad took to it like a duck to water, not to mention his sexual ministrations, which he mastered even quicker, even if the brat cried out a name different to his own when he came. Twice this had happened during their little summertime liaison, but Robin shrugged it off as he drilled his cock harder into the pliant pale body beneath him, long white legs wrapped eagerly around his back, a frantic tongue in his mouth. Gods the boy was perfect. Beautiful and so eager.

Draco snapped himself back to reality with a small smile as the train pulled into his station. The young black girl who had watched the handsome blond’s face, leaned over, “Thinking about your girlfriend?”, she chuckled as Draco shouldered his bag and made to leave. He grinned at her, “Boyfriend actually”, he blew her a kiss and left the train. He turned back to see her laughing. He made his way home.

Ron was looking smug at dinner. His air ticket had arrived. Harry glanced around the canteen. He spotted Severus and Remus at a table on the other side of the room. He and Draco shared a significant look then both looked down. Draco leaned in, “Not tonight, baby. But the next time they arrive on a weekend....”. Harry gathered him up and kissed him. When Severus dared a look around, it was to see Draco draped over Harry’s lap, being fed morsels of food. The look between them hot enough to set the world alight.

He sighed and turned his attention back to their table. To his lover, who had caught whence his eyes had strayed and frowned. Severus widened his eyes then looked down and blushed. “What is it Sev? Is this just an infatuation?. What’s going on here?”. Severus’ eyes were wet as he shook his head. “Fucked if I know, Remus”. Then the tears fell and Remus gathered his beloved into his arms. From across the room, he caught Harry’s puzzled glance. He narrowed his eyes and glared at him. Harry averted his gaze, looking sheepish.

Draco clasped Harry’s face with both hands and looked him in the eyes, “Harry, will you be sleeping with him while I’m gone?”. Harry smiled into those earnest grey-blue eyes, “I promise, hand on heart, Dragon, that I won’t sleep with anyone else, nor shag or blow or snog anyone else while you’re gone. Will you make the same promise to me?”. It was Draco’s turn to look sheepish. He had already made arrangements to go and see Pansy on his first weekend, and she’d promised to show him the delights of Canal Street in Manchester. He lifted his gaze back to Harry’s to see warm green twinkling at him, “Yes, I do, Harry. I promise I won’t snog, blow, shag or sleep with anyone else”. They shared a chaste kiss then continued their meal.

Friday night, and there was a big farewell ‘do’ for Ron. Harry knew his best friend was equal parts ecstatic and terrified. The one because he was shortly to see the love of his life, the other because he had never set foot out of the British Isles. Harry patted him on the shoulder, “You’ll be fine, mate”. Ron grinned at his best friend, “I’ll miss you, Harry”. Harry laughed and shook his head, “You’ll be far too busy being a dad to miss anybody, and, hey, with most of us earning, we could slide over and see you. Stay nearby, whatever. I could fancy a holiday in Italy. It’s only a 3 hour flight. It’s not like we’ll never see each other again. We’ve got the phone and the ‘Net. Soon Draco and I will have a flat and you can send postcards!! Letters, or home movies live streamed over the Web. The world isn’t so big anymore, Ron. I’ll see you again soon”. They embraced and hugged for a long time. Neither’s eyes were dry as they let each other go.