#auror trainees

Prompt: Fair

September “Robards did what?” Ron splutters, nearly chocking on his beer.

Harry doesn’t want to say it again. He really doesn’t.

“Robards paired you with Malfoy?” Ron repeats slowly as he stares at Harry in horror.

Harry nods.

Ron’s mouth falls open. “What the fuck.”   

“It’s only for a few months. For training. Until we earn our badges.” Harry sighs. “Apparently we are ...compatible.”  

“Fuck, mate. How’s that fair that you of all people get stuck with the bloody ferret?”

Harry stares into his glass as he might find the answer there. He drains the last of it. It leaves a sour taste in his mouth.

Ron is right. It’s not fair. It fucking isn’t.  

October Harry hears them. Malfoy must hear them too--the snickers, the barely muffled snide remarks – “He doesn’t belong here. ...Unacceptable. ... should never have been allowed to enrol...Bloody unfair.”

The other trainees are not exactly discreet. He sees their sneers behind Malfoy’s back, the way their mouths twist in disgust as he walks past them. Malfoy never rises to it, pretends he doesn’t hear, keeps his head down.  

He works the hardest out of them all.

That takes courage, Harry thinks.

January Harry startles awake. He blinks, disoriented. He turns his face and sees Malfoy beside him, sitting in silence, a finger to his lips.

What--?

“Shush,” Malfoy whispers.

It comes back to Harry then. The stakeout. They’ve been sitting here for hours, trapped in a space no bigger than a closet, waiting for God knows what. “Shit, sorry. I must have dozed off,” Harry muttered, yawning.

“Tell me something I don’t know, Potter.”

 Harry rubs his face. “I’ll take over.”

“It’s fine. I’ve got it. I’ll wake you if anything happens.”

“Come on, it’s only fair. I’m not letting you do the whole night.”

“Potter, I’m not tired. You sleep more. You need it.”

Harry wonders how Malfoy knows, but he does need it. The night before had been hard, as it still is sometimes, riddled with nightmares and insomnia.  He tries to stay awake, he really does, but his eyes are heavy and soon enough his head drops. It lands on Malfoy’s shoulder.

Malfoy is stiff but does not push him away.

He smells nice, Harry thinks before drifting off.

March “Why’d you do that?” Harry calls after Malfoy as they leave Robards’s office.

Malfoy doesn’t slow and Harry has to catch his arm to stop him. “Malfoy.”

“What?” He turns and looks at some vague spot behind Harry’s head.

“Why did you cover for me? Why did you lie? You didn’t have to do that. I’m the one who screwed up.”

“I don’t know. It—it didn’t seem fair.” Malfoy meets his eyes then, “We’re a team. Aren’t we? Isn’t it what partners do?”

Harry’s chest tightens.

May The Auror uniform is dark navy. Harry traces the golden embroidered words on his heart – Junior Auror Potter. He smiles then heads to the Leaky.

The pub is a sea of dark navy uniforms. It’s loud and joyful, and Harry feels alive.

Pints are raised, backs are clapped, congratulations are shouted across the room.

Harry loses track of how many pints he had. His head is fuzzy, he’s happy.

“Congratulations, Auror Potter.”

Harry jumps. He turns and sees him. Draco’s smile is big and bright. Harry’s eyes drift down to the words stitched into the fabric—Junior Auror Malfoy.  Blue suits him. It really fucking suits him.

Merlin.

Alcohol is pumping through Harry’s veins, warm and reckless. He steps closer.

“It’s unfair how good you look in this.”

June “It’s against regulation, Harry,” Draco says as he pushes him away.

Harry chases his lips. “Just one kiss.”

Draco rolls his eyes. “No”

“Jesus, you’re uptight. You’re ridiculously strict when it comes to rules, you know that. How am I supposed to resist when you’re there walking around all day in your bloody uniform.”

Draco rolls his eyes again but his mouth twitches upwards.

“Life’s unfair,” Harry whines. “Can’t a guy kiss his boyfriend?”

Draco freezes. He stares at Harry with wide eyes, then walks straight towards him, grabs his face in both hands and kisses him.

Okay. Fine.

It’s the second time they’ve done this—met out here in the harsh chill of November. Two days ago, Harry had followed a long-ingrained urge to find out where Malfoy went, between auror training sessions, and found him on the roof of the Academy.

“Smoking?”

“That, too.”

The flash of Malfoy’s smile is brief, but real. Harry doesn’t know why it feels like a win.

Hi anon, I do! Hope you enjoy these :)

Wands Away by @lqtraintracks (2015, E, 3k)

Harry and Draco are in Auror training and it's time for a little hand-to-hand... which gets a little out of hand.

Too Cool For School by JulietsEmoPhase (2015, E, 4k)

Draco needs to get his patronus if he ever wants to pass his Auror training, so Harry reluctantly steps in to help.

The Ninth Beatitude by @p1013 (2021, E, 4.3k)

Though its print was faded by rain and sun, Draco recognized the DMLE logo and, after carefully removing it from the board, he had filled out the application with a sense of vicious accomplishment.

Work It Out by GoldenTruth813 (2018, E, 4.4k)

The Auror Trainees now have required gym time, and Draco is distracted by Potter’s equipment. His workout equipment, that is.

Hot and Cold by who_la_hoop (2014, E, 7.7k)

Harry had an inkling as he checked out his surroundings – a gloomy forest, dusted with snow, and featuring one hundred per cent more Draco Malfoy than was comfortable – that his first Auror practical exam was not going to go as well as he'd hoped . . .

Heart Issues of the Non-Medical Sort by synonym4life (2017, E, 15k)

Harry's heart has been behaving strangely around his fellow Auror Trainee Draco Malfoy and it's time he admitted to himself that his issues are of the non-medical sort. Features a semi-sentient coffee maker and a whole lot of tension.

Lift Your Open Hand by @firethesound (2016, M, 18k)

With Draco Malfoy as his assigned partner for the next six weeks of Auror training, Harry had been prepared for things to go poorly. But getting themselves accidentally bonded to each other in the first twenty minutes of their very first assignment seemed going above and beyond, even for them.

A Year in Training by Omi_Ohmy (2013, M, 25k)

Harry is finally living his dream and training as an Auror, but nothing seems to be going right: he’s just so angry all the time. And Draco Malfoy’s presence on the programme really isn’t helping with that, either.

Heartlines by @shiftylinguini (2017, E, 72k)

Harry never expected he’d end up chipping away at his virginity while wandless and bonded to Malfoy in Northern Europe.

Bonus: instructor!Harry + trainee!Draco

Rebuilding Draco Malfoy by khasael (2011, E, 11k)

Draco wants to do something to get his life back on track, but no-one seems to be taking him seriously – until he finds himself in an Auror training session led by Harry Potter.

Dashing Heroics by Lokifan (2015, M, 21k)

Harry loves being an Auror. He loves it less when the Aurors start taking on the trainees for a few weeks of on-the-job training. As it turns out, Malfoy wants to be an Auror too.

By the Grace by @letteredlettered (2020, T, 140k)

Turn Alight by strawberryrose 

Harry/Draco (2013, Explicit, 6.5k)

"So, how do we fix this?"

Hermione pursed her lips as she thought. Ron leaned into the table to look around her at Harry, a cheeky smirk on his face. "Do Beltane properly next time?"

In the end, Harry found himself somehow squeezed into a bunk with Malfoy - it made sense, Moon pointed out, since they were the smallest of the boys and could actually fit into a bunk without fear of shoving each other out due to lack of space.

The lovely @mai-und-regen knows my exact brand of romantic (😂) and always sends me the most delightful gems! I’m always up for a good Auror trainees story, especially if it has some crazy Beltane shit involved. This fic is very charming, the narrative is cozy and light-hearted and got me engaged since the first lines. Despite the initial serious tone (Draco’s trial is always a fave in fic), the quote I chose represents perfectly the fic spirit - I admit I love them buff, but the thought of Draco and Harry bunking up because they’re SMOL made me go feral with softness 😍 this was a feel-good and romantic quick read that combined a few of my favorite things: non-linear narrative, A+ pining Harry, bed sharing, drunk first kisses, Aurors camaraderie, oblivious boys being oblivious, supportive Ron and Nev! The Beltane issue was hilarious and another thing that made this fic so adorable and fun. Go read the thing!