Harry only barely glanced in the direction of the general, not daring to properly face the music. His sexuality had, admittedly, become muddled through out his last years of service, yet he hadn't come out until a year after he had left the military; all in all, having done nothing that wasn't allowed, meaning Clingerman was in no official position to pass judgement. Still, even with his fleeting glances, Harry could tell Clingerman was mentally doing the math, constructing a timeline for himself. That did seem to stifle the tone of the conversation, as Harry feared the general could still voice his personal judgement.<br/>Almost absentmindedly, Clingerman shook Draco's hand. His eyes, however, darted towards Harry as if he had become a total stranger to him. It made Harry's heart drop, a lifetime of admiration of the military making him feel awful for having disappointed his superior.<br/>"Potter didn't serve under me," Clingerman finally answered, some of the familiarity having left his voice. Though not necessarily sounding unfriendly, it was clear that the general had to readjust his expectations of the conversation. "I just brought him home."<br/>At the mention of his name, Harry reluctantly looked towards the general, unprepared to meet his eye. Harry wanted to believe that there was no disappointment in Clingerman's eye, but he also knew that Harry had introduced him to his ex girlfriend at the last military outing Harry had attended before his final tour to Afghanistan. In an attempt to reinforce the charade, Harry's hand tightened around Draco's arm.<br/>"You can however thank me for that life of his," Clingerman added, an attempt to a smile back onto his lips. His eyes left Harry in favour for Draco, to Harry's great relief; his grip immediately relaxed. "It was some operation to get those boys rushed out of that sodding hell-hole; he would've died of sepsis long before he got that stump cut off, had I not been involved."