Chapter Text
The Grand Re-Opening of the Werewolf Support Services in it’s new, muggle, location was turning out to be a raging success. Hermione had spent the entire three hours speaking with different Alphas, mostly explaining the goals of the department, the services offered, and how happy she was that they had decided to stop by.
It helped, of course, that Draco was standing around outside the door just as he had for that very first meeting. And that she wasn’t asking for any names.
For the moment, Hermione stood back and looked through the room. Andromeda was trying to convince Teddy that he did not need to eat any more of the sandwiches, but that he might enjoy some of the carrots. Teddy was eyeing the cheese tray instead. Faye and Florence were laughing in a corner while Ajax scowled, probably trying to look fierce but utterly failing with the way he kept glancing at Florence with wide eyes.
No one had signed any of the papers Hermione had left out, but then she hadn’t asked for that either. It was going to be a long road to earn the trust of the Werewolf community, and not asking was the first step. Faye and Ajax had been emphatic about that. The Wizengamot wouldn’t like it, but they’d given her a year of funding already, so there was time.
Harry and Ajax stood in the corner talking. “I know it probably seems harsh. And maybe it was,” Ajax said.
Harry didn’t say anything, his face just a series of hard lines.
“I’m glad he found you.” Ajax stared at Harry until Harry stared back. “He needed an Alpha, and he couldn’t respect my authority.”
Harry let out a sigh of resignation. “I get that. He doesn’t have a lot of respect for any authority.”
“He respects you.” Ajax continued to stare him down, to stare the importance of his words into Harry. “You might be the only person he does.”
The door chimed as Vale and Draco came in, their heads tilted at odd angles in laughter. Vale had his hand wrapped around Draco’s waist, and Draco’s was draped over his shoulder. Hermione glanced over at Harry, who had also looked up at the chime and was suddenly all smiles. He crossed the room immediately, and Draco let go of Vale to put his hand in Harry’s.
Vale smiled at Faye, who smiled back. And Hermione thought he would go over to Faye, but he turned towards her instead. “You’ve done something very impressive here.” He nodded towards the room.
Hermione smiled. “Yes. it’s taken a long time, but I think we can finally start making some good changes.
Vale frowned. “It was one victory, and a small one at that.”
“Yes,” Hermione admitted, because these things would always be two steps forward and one step back. Opening lines of communication did not mean that it would be smooth sailing from here on.
“What will you do when the Ministry ignores your data or declares it irrelevant or decides they don’t care?” Vale peered at Hermione closely
She looked at Harry and Draco and the loose way their fingers were tangled together, at the way Harry was turned towards Andromeda and Draco towards Florence, both of whom had come over to say hello. Who would have thought after everything that had happened between them, with all that history, that Harry and Draco would ever stand so close to each other, let alone hold hands? Who would have thought that Hermione would call him Draco? It was hard fought, and maybe it wouldn’t last, but Hermione thought it would.
“I have to have hope,” she admitted. “I have to believe that good people will stand up and do the right thing.”
She watched Draco trace little circles on Harry’s thumb, watched the absent way that Harry pressed a kiss to the side of Draco’s head without breaking the conversation. “If you’d known them in school, then you’d understand how much room there is for hope.”
“I knew Draco and Sawyer,” Vale said quietly. “I’ve seen how much he can change.”
Hermione smiled at Vale. “He changed so much more before he ever met Sawyer. It gives me hope. And Harry, Harry will always fight for what he believes in. He doesn’t know any other way.”
Vale looked at Faye, at the way her hand rested gently on the flat of her belly. “We have to have hope for the future.”
Hermione watched Harry laugh. “And we have to fight for it, all the time, until people can’t help but admit the truth.”
She and Vale watched as Draco wrapped his fingers more firmly around Harry’s, stepped just a bit closer, sniffed the air. Andromeda stepped off to round up Teddy again, and she patted Draco’s shoulder as she walked away. Florence gave the two of them a knowing look and muttered something about finding Ajax.
And then it was just the two of them, standing in the middle of the room. “Are you smelling me?” Harry asked quietly.
Draco smiled at him, leaned in to whisper in his ear. “I like the way you smell.”