Title: Wanted Treasure
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Warnings Apply
Fandom: Harry Potter
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Tags: Fluff, Re-Established Relationship, Alternate Universe
Summary: 2,478
Word Count: Draco was just trying to be happy.
Spoilers: Entire Book Series
Beta: Grammarly



Draco Malfoy picked up the menu set down by the waitress ten minutes before when he had been seated. He frowned at the listing of the food, mainly because he couldn't figure out what he wanted to try first. He looked down below the dessert section and was happy when he saw there was a tasting version of the menu, with a little of each food there.

This restaurant was the hottest one in London at the moment, at least for the magical part of London. Draco was pretty sure that it was mostly Muggle food that had been adapted to its magical counterparts and whatnot. Still, Draco had heard nothing but good things about the food and the staff. He smiled when the waitress came back to his table. He ordered his food and the wine he wanted with each course. He was celebrating the release of his newest book that was doing well not only in the Muggle world but also in the magical. It was nice to be liked, and he was happy that he was doing well with it. It was a hobby that was made easier by the fact that he wasn't the one dealing with the edits and the like. Pansy was all about making him more money, and she handled the more intense parts of publishing.

She was the one who had submitted his first book without his consent, and the deal he had gotten from that book had been more than enough enticement that he had done it. Now he was seven books in, and there was no stopping him.

Potion-making was enough to keep him happy and fulfilled, but there was something about writing that made him happy. Books just filled out another part of him that he wasn't aware he needed to be filled. It was a good thing; he was happy with it, and it helped him.

"Sir," the waitress said as she stepped up to the table with the appetizer tray and a glass of wine.

Draco leaned back and waited for the items to be set down. He looked and decided he was coming back as much as he could because the food looked and smelled divine. He picked up the little tart that had something to do with sausage and cheese and popped it into his mouth. It tasted like heaven in a cup. He wondered if they had any openings for the next week. He had lucked on this one with a cancelation the call before him. Of course, given that reservations were to be made by call, which was something even the most idiotic blood purist family had in this day and age, most hated it and wouldn't do it. It was the only stumbling block had by the restaurant. Given time, Draco figured they wouldn't care anymore when it was seen as fashionable to use the telephone for simple things.

"How are you feeling today?" a voice asked from Draco's left. He turned his head to look at the person talking. It was nice to see the owner out and about. It wasn't the chef because the person was in a suit.

There was something bout the face of the owner that Draco felt he should know.

"Lord Longbottom, we are feeling wonderful. How are you feeling?" the customer asked.

Draco hadn't seen Neville Longbottom in person since they had graduated from Hogwarts. Neville had gone on in the herbology track, and Draco had moved to Rome to take tutelage under the best potion master in the world. Neville had stayed in London, from what Draco had heard. The various lords and ladies with whom he had gone to school were those who didn't care too much about Draco. Especially after the whole debacle with his father. He had been left to fend for himself as he learned how to replace his father in the best way, trying to help push away years and years of the Pure Blood shite his father had spouted, but Draco had never taken on.

"Lord Malfoy, welcome to the restaurant. I wasn't aware you were on the list," Longbottom said as he held his hand to Draco.

"It was a last-minute thing. A cancellation had happened, and I was calling in to place myself on the list for whatever dinner I could get."

"I see you went with the tasting menu for all of the courses. That's a wonderful option and one that many take the first time."

"The food is grown in your gardens, is it not?"

"Yes. It was something I had been playing with, and I happened to make a friend who loved to cook in their spare time and, in the end, had left their job because of shit from too many sides. It was nice for everything to fall into our laps as it did. I think you know how that all goes when it comes to everything coming together."

Draco nodded his head. He knew that Longbottom had no clue that Draco wrote books, but Draco's own potions business was pretty good, and he had lucked into the last person in the area of London, and his shop had wanted to retire just when Draco was thinking of opening up his own. So instead, he had taken over the potion-making in the background, and the man ran the shop for six months before he fully retired and left his clients shocked that it had been Draco. It was something that had helped given Draco's reputation because of his father.

The world had nearly gone to shit before James Potter had stepped up and killed the Dark Lord Voldemort because he refused to let the man get his hands on James' son. Draco had learned all about it from the perspective of men and women who were outside of the UK. Hell, Rome lauded James Potter as a man of love because he refused to let a dark lord target his son. Draco was just glad he had grown up without Voldemort, and his father bent the knee to the dark lord.

Draco hadn't bent the knee to anyone, and he never would. He was his own man and made sure he wouldn't regret that in this life or the next. Draco's only regret was that he had no one to share his life with.

"I'll stop back when you are done eating, and you can tell me all about the food if you don't mind. We don't have too many who are unbiased as I think you would be."

"Why would I be?"

"You don't really care about feelings when it comes to things like this. You would rather be honest and get the reaction you need than lavish praise where it's not needed. I remember that from Hogwarts. You were a good person despite everything. It showed in everything you did. So, I think I would rather you talk to me about the food than anyone else."

"I will try not to praise too much," Draco said.

Longbottom laughed and headed away from the table to talk to a few others. Draco looked at the food, and so far, there was not a single complaint. He wasn't shocked about that because this kind of place wouldn't survive if the food sucked. The location was to die for as far as being close to magical hubs. It was also well taken care of, which was something that many magical places let slack off. Draco was happy overall with everything.

The soup and salad course came out next, and Draco fell in love at first bite with the lobster bisque and whatever dressing was on the simple garden salad. The vegetables were the star of that show, and the chef made sure it was true with the dressing highlighting, not covering up.

The main courses were heavenly, and the small beef wellington was perfect. Draco wanted to eat a bigger version of it as soon as he could. The fancy fish and chips were perfect as well, wrapped in newspaper that had comical stories about witches and wizards who had done stupid stuff. It was strange to see and even stranger to try and read as he was eating the food but wrapping just made it all the better.

Dessert was the best part of the whole thing, with each dish being perfect. The treacle tart was something Draco rarely saw anymore outside of remembering it being served at Hogwarts; it was a dish that had fallen out of favor with other newer dishes rising up. It was something to think about why it wasn't popular when it was a good staple. Though this was not a traditional treacle tart, it was still something that tasted like childhood for Draco.

The two ice wines that were paired with the dessert flight were wonderful to sip between bites of dessert.

"You look like a man in love," Longbottom said as he sat down across from Draco.

The restaurant was thinning out with the guests leaving and the next set waiting to come inside.

"The food was wonderful. I would say I want to marry the chef, but that might come across as a little strong."

"Oh, I'm sure that he wouldn't mind a date. Before we hit it big, we were called the secret treasure of London. The place where people talked about going, but only those who had been there would understand wanting to come back to eat over and over again. I say that my chef is the treasure. He's the reason I am doing as well as I am with this. I had a different one when I opened up, and then he came and ate dinner here, told me that he could do better, and to give him a chance. So I did. I opened up one night by serving just the food he made, a small and catered menu where people only got what he wanted. It did well, and it made people want to come back. They did but were not happy when it wasn't the same foods they had gotten the time before. So I fired my chef and hired the other guy."

"You've not used names," Draco said.

"No, I didn't. My chef is not known to anyone. Even those who work back there with him know not to talk about it. A few have asked to be put under secrecy spells."

Just that bit there told Draco all he needed to know about who it was. Harry Potter had retreated from the public and had just not come back out after the Ministry for Magic tried to throw him in jail on trumped-up charges. He had left the Aurors and had refused any overture. It was reported on weekly, even two years later. The papers didn't let the world forget what the corruption in the Ministry had cost the UK.

"I see. Well, compliments to the chef. His food is to die for, and I'm sure I will be back as soon as possible." Draco pulled out enough money to leave a good tip for the whole of the staff working that night and left it on the bill that popped into place minutes after the dessert tray had been set down.

"Have a wonderful night, Lord Malfoy."

"You are well, Lord Longbottom."

Draco left and slipped to the back of the restaurant area, knowing he would find Potter standing outside the back doors with a cigarette between his lips. The bright flare of the end told Draco it was one of the herbals. The scent of lavender filled the alley as well.

"Draco," Harry said.

"Harry." Draco swallowed and thought about the last time he had seen Harry in person; it was the day Draco had told him that he couldn't be with him any longer. Harry had not taken it well at all, but then again, Draco wasn't shocked about that. Draco knew he was the love of Harry's life while Draco had still been mired in too much duty. It wasn't something Draco liked to think about.

"I saw you liked the food."

"I did. I should have known as soon as I saw the dessert menu, but then again, I try not to think about the food you used to make me when you were trying to calm down from work. We were young and stupid."

"We were young, there were moments of stupidity, but I don't think, on the whole, we were that stupid. Or at least I wasn't."

"No, you were not. You were great. You were kind of perfect, and I hated it. I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Breaking our hearts."

"My heart's not broken. Never was. Bruised a little, but it never went away, Draco. I couldn't forget, and while I know you tried to move on, you never really made it."

"You were my life's biggest treasure, Harry, and I'm sorry." Draco stepped closer to Harry.

All Harry did was take another puff of the herbal, and then he tossed it away. He blew the smoke right into Draco's face. It was something meant to scare Draco off, and he knew it, but he couldn't just leave like that. He had denied himself what he wanted for nearly a decade. He wasn't going to let it keep on happening. No, he was right where he needed to be.

When Draco got close, Harry caught him up in his arms and put him against the wall. "I"m not going to let you go again. I'll finish ruining you for anyone else in your life, Draco. I'll make sure of that. So make your choice right now." Harry's lips hovered over Draco's for just a few seconds before Draco pushed into the kiss.

Just like a decade before, the kiss consumed Draco. He didn't stop and didn't care what else it did. He just wanted to keep on going with it.

"Mine?" Harry asked.

"Yes."

Even the apparition wasn't enough to make Draco feel less aroused as he was pushed into the door of Harry's place. He wasn't sure the wards had ever been made to refuse him with the way they enveloped him as he kissed Harry. It felt good, almost too good.

"I have tomorrow off."

"Martin can handle the shop for me. I just need to send him a message. Everything we sell is made, and if there are custom potions, those have a three-day waiting period. I will be fine to just stay here all day." Draco slipped his hands under Harry's shirt, and he touched.

While sex had never been an issue, it was something Draco wanted to push to the side once they had reminded themselves of each other. Only then could they start to move on.

The End