A Love So Belated
folder
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
44
Views:
46,651
Reviews:
358
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
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Category:
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
44
Views:
46,651
Reviews:
358
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Chapter 3: Unwelcome Attention
Chapter Number/Total: 3/44
Chapter Title: Unwelcome Attention
Words: 3337 Words
Draco walked beside Harry, glancing at him as he did.
"So, doing any better than the last time I saw you, or still the same?" Harry tried to say lightly, giving Malfoy a small smile. He didn't know how to act around the man. It wasn't like he was used to being friendly with him.
Draco shrugged. "Well, it helps having my wand back," he replied cautiously.
"Er, yeah," Harry said. "It does help to have a wand." Feeling oddly ashamed for stealing Draco's wand, Harry looked away from him in favour of staring ahead. He remembered the feeling of losing his own, of thinking he would never be able to use it again. He wondered if Malfoy had felt the same.
"I can do potions work again, for example," the blond said, looking for something positive to say.
"Yeah," Harry said again, and then he frowned slightly. "If you ... had your wand," he said, "why didn't you, well, try to fight back?"
Draco snorted, shooting an annoyed glance at the ignorant man. "Because I am under probation," he answered. "If I attack someone else, then I join my father in prison."
"Oh," Harry said. "Yeah, I – yeah, I guess you would be." He went silent for a few seconds as they walked. "You could report them, you know," he continued. "Those blokes."
"No one would believe me," Draco said, and shrugged. "Besides, if I reported them all, I would have to spend more time at the Ministry."
"Yeah," Harry said, sighing. "Oh," he said, stopping suddenly, "here's the shop I was coming to." He pointed to the building, Dennison Jewellers.
"Jewellery?" Draco asked. "Who is the gift for?"
"Ginny," Harry answered. "It's the only thing I could think to get her."
"Your girlfriend?" Draco asked, arching an eyebrow.
Harry looked at Draco and nodded.
Draco knew he had no good reason for it to bother him, but it did. "Must be serious if you are getting jewellery," he said.
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Serious?" he said. "Getting jewellery means it's serious?"
Draco nodded, always amazed that Potter was so clueless about things. "You usually give a friend books or something of that nature. Jewellery is a symbol of the relationship. Rings even more so."
"Well, I just – I just thought she would like some earrings or something," Harry explained. "I mean, I love Ginny, but I don’t, well, I mean I don't want her to get the wrong idea or anything, you know?"
Both of Draco's eyebrows went up. "What would be the wrong idea and what would be the right?" he asked.
Harry frowned, thinking about that. "Well, I want her to know that I care about her, but I don't want her to think I want to get ... married or anything." He made a strange face. "Not anytime soon. Earrings wouldn't make her think that, would they?"
"Earrings would be safer than a ring or pendant, but would confirm that you are in a relationship," Draco said, sighing. He couldn't believe he was advising Potter on what to get the Weaselette. "How expensive they are matters as well," he added.
Harry sighed, too. He probably would have just gone in, picked out something he liked and simply bought it. "How do you know all this?" he asked.
"I was brought up to pay attention to details about social standing," Draco replied.
Harry arched an eyebrow. "Right," he said. "Well, I guess earrings will do. Ones that aren't super expensive, but nice though."
Draco couldn't believe what he was about to say, and he made a bit of a face. "Would you like help?" he asked.
Harry nearly laughed at the face. "Well, you don't have to help, but if you want," he said.
"It's the least I can do," Draco answered politely, and gestured to the shop.
Harry shrugged, walking over and pulling open the door. Glass cases stood around the room, displaying their gold and diamonds and pearls. He couldn’t believe Draco Malfoy was going to help him get something for Ginny, but he seemed to know what he was talking about and Harry didn't have a clue about it.
"Do you know what kind of jewellery she favours?" Draco asked.
"Er, well, no actually," Harry answered. "She usually just wears some little diamond earrings I think she got from her mum. Her favourite colour's green, if that matters."
Draco smirked at that, finding it funny he shared that with the girl. "Well, maybe a small set of emerald earrings would be appropriate," he said.
The shopkeeper was hovering nearby and immediately began showing them selections of earrings.
Harry ended up getting a small set of emerald earrings like Draco had suggested. He was glad to have it out of the way and was able to leave the shop in the short time it took to pay for them. "Thanks," he said to Draco once they were back out on the street. He stuffed the little bag with the earrings into his pocket with his wand and the rest of his money. "I probably would have picked out the wrong thing."
"Well, I am sure she will like them," Draco said, sighing. His hands twisted in his robe; he was reluctant to say goodbye to the other man.
"Yeah," said Harry. "I guess I'll be heading back then." For some reason, he didn't want to say goodbye either, if only to make sure that Malfoy wasn't murdered out on the street, but he figured that would probably be an odd thing to stay for and he couldn't think of any other reason he might stay.
"Do you ...." Draco trailed off and then took a breath. "Would you like to get a drink or something? My errand can wait."
"Um, well, sure," said Harry, honestly surprised. "I guess I'm not in any hurry."
"Wherever you like," Draco said. He noticed people staring at them as they stood there.
"Leaky Cauldron?" Harry offered. "Should be quiet enough in there at this time of day."
"Certainly," Draco said, gesturing again for Potter to lead.
Harry nodded, turning 'round to head in the opposite direction. He really couldn't figure out in his own mind why he was glad Malfoy had suggested getting a drink. Yes, he did still want to make sure the man was okay, but there was ... something else too. He shot a few glares at people who gave Malfoy nasty looks, but they made it to the Leaky Cauldron without much trouble.
Draco pointed out a corner booth and headed in that direction, slipping into a seat.
Harry sat across from him, folding his hands on the table. "So ..." he began, trailing off as he tried to think of what to talk about. “You’ve been doing potion work?"
"Not really work," Draco said, trying to signal the proprietor. "I am doing some experiments. I like changing potions and seeing what develops."
"Ah, interesting," Harry nodded, and was saved from having to say anything else for the moment when Tom, the toothless old innkeeper, shuffled over to them.
"What can I get you boys?" he asked, staring between them as if slightly confused to see them together.
"Um, I'll just have a butterbeer," Harry said.
Tom nodded and raised an eyebrow at Draco.
"The same," he replied. He rested one hand on the table, but the other remained in his lap, plucking nervously at his robe.
Harry tapped his fingers on the table, looking over at Draco as Tom shuffled off again to get the drinks.
Draco found himself staring at Harry's fingers as they drummed on the table. "What have you been doing then?" he asked.
"The 'hero' stuff," Harry answered quietly with a small huff to accompany it. "Stupid really, but ..." He shrugged, ending the sentence there.
"Sometimes I think they couldn't have picked better or worse, if they had had a choice," Draco said, smirking.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, nodding to old Tom as he shuffled over yet again and set their butterbeers on the table. He reached for one of them.
Draco waited until Tom left, and then traced a finger through the condensation on the side of the glass bottle. "First, you were the best choice as a hero, because you actually had what it took to do it, obviously. But also because you aren't manipulative enough to use it to exploit others."
"I had a lot of help," Harry said to the first comment. "And, well, I guess I like to think I'm not manipulative."
Draco shook his head. "And the second half because you are one who neither knows how nor wants to play the role they want to cast you in," he explained.
Harry sighed and rested his head against the back of the high padded seat, tilting his face up. "Isn't that the truth," he said, staring at the ceiling.
"Actually, I tell the truth most of the time," Draco said with a smirk. "It's just that people never believe it of me."
Harry raised an eyebrow at that, groping for his butterbeer blindly and bringing the bottle to his lips. "I suppose I don't know you very well," he admitted after he'd taken a drink. "Even being in the same year."
"No, I don't suppose you do," Draco agreed, looking up to meet Harry's eyes.
Harry looked at Draco as well, moving to sit up straighter. "I guess we never got on," he said, though he didn't suppose it – he knew it.
"You weren't interested in 'getting on' with anyone in Slytherin," Draco pointed out.
"I don't think anyone in Slytherin was interested in getting on with me either," Harry said. "I suppose it's predetermined, though. Gryffindors don't like Slytherins and vice versa. Seems like it anyway."
"I wonder what would have happened if you had been sorted into Slytherin," Draco mused.
Harry arched an eyebrow again. "I don't know," he said. "I guess a lot of things would have been completely different."
Draco had thought about it a lot, actually, but didn't say so. He had wondered, for example, if Harry hadn't made friends with Ron Weasley, would it have made a difference? It didn't matter now, but unfortunately Draco had too much time on his hands to think about the past.
Harry sat looking at Draco and thinking. He didn't know what made him say it, perhaps just trying to keep the conversation from pausing awkwardly, but he opened his mouth. "The hat wanted to put me there," he confessed. "In Slytherin." It wasn't something he normally shared, but it didn't really bother him anymore.
Draco's eyes widened and he nearly choked on the sip of beer he had been taking.
Harry snorted quietly. "All right there?"
Draco picked up his napkin and dabbed his chin, grimacing. "What did you say?" he asked when he could.
"The Sorting Hat wanted to put me in Slytherin," Harry repeated. "I asked not to be," he admitted.
"You asked ...." Draco closed his mouth, frowning. "I didn't know anyone had a choice."
"Well, I didn't exactly choose Gryffindor," explained Harry. "Just not Slytherin. I'd heard bad things about it before I got there, so I didn't want to be sorted into that House. You were sorted into Slytherin right away – literally. You didn't ask to be there?"
Draco was still frowning. "I expected to be in Slytherin, like my father, and I wanted it. But no, the hat did not ask my opinion on the matter."
"It didn't ask me either," said Harry. "I was just thinking it – that I didn't want to be in Slytherin. It tried to persuade me, but then I ended up in Gryffindor."
Draco flushed and looked away, fingers tight on the bottle of butterbeer.
Harry frowned at that. "I don't have anything against that House now," he said, thinking he must've said something. "I was eleven."
"I remember," Draco whispered, still not looking at him.
Harry took another drink of butterbeer and then reached up to scratch the back of his neck. He was nearly flushed himself, from the weird turn this was taking. "Remember what?" he asked.
"When you were Sorted," Draco said, looking down at the table now. "I wasn't pleased."
"Why?" Harry asked, his brows low over his eyes.
Draco realised he had dug himself into a hole and he wasn't sure how to get out. He shrugged, blushing at the memory.
Harry was tempted to say, "What? That's it?" But he didn't. He looked away, feeling a little awkward now.
"I guess, after meeting you in the robe shop ..." Draco trailed off again, and took a sip of the butterbeer.
Harry looked back at him again. "Meeting me in the robe shop?" he asked. "What's that got to do with anything?"
"Nothing, I suppose," Draco answered.
Harry gave Draco an odd look. "What?" he asked, confused.
"It was a long time ago," Draco sighed, "and I didn't know the things I do now."
Harry could barely remember the words spoken all those years ago. He only knew that he hadn't liked Draco very much and that the man had never really done anything to change his opinion of him. "It was a long time ago," he agreed. "And the same goes for me, or at least I hope I know a lot more since then."
Draco felt the years like a weight, his shoulders dropping with it. And the worst part was, that as clumsy as this conversation was, it was the best one he had had in months.
Harry sighed, leaning back again. He did think it was rather discomforting to be talking about their time in Hogwarts. They weren't exactly nice times where they were involved with each other, but what else could they possibly talk about? "A lot has changed," he said quietly, nodding. He could feel the conversation sort of coming to an end, but he still had half a butterbeer left. He was drawing a blank as far as where to go next. As they sat in silence, Harry got a sort of prickling feeling, like he was being watched. He glanced off to the side. A woman was staring at him, her eyes slightly wide. She turned away when she was spotted, but when Harry turned back to Draco, he could see her peek at him again. He recognised the look. It was one he dreaded.
"Oh, great," he muttered quietly. "I hope she doesn't come over here."
Draco looked up and shook his head. "We each have a similar problem. They adore you, and they hate me, but won't leave either of us alone."
Harry sighed, having known it was inevitable. He kept his eyes locked on Draco's without even realising the intensity of his stare, because he was really focusing on the woman still and didn't want to encourage her to come over.
Just when he thought he was going to be safe, the woman hesitantly stood to her feet and began making her way over. He sighed again, flushing slightly, but unsure why he felt so embarrassed in front of Malfoy. Harry continued to stare at Malfoy, wondering if the woman would go away if he didn't look. But she didn't go away. She came right up to the table and cleared her throat.
Harry finally turned his head and gave her a tight-lipped smile.
"Hi," she said, slightly breathless. "I – you're Harry Potter."
"Yeah," said Harry.
Draco smirked but didn't look at the woman, keeping his eyes on Harry.
"Well, you must – I mean you really must get this all the time, but," the woman paused, "thank you." Her eyes were tearful.
Oh, no. It was one of those ones. "Please don't," Harry said in what he tried to make a soothing voice. "Really. There's no need to thank me."
"So modest," she said fondly, a few tears escaping.
Harry groaned inwardly as he got to his feet, stiffly patting the crying woman's shoulder.
"Madam," Draco interrupted, "Mr Potter and I were having a private conversation. I am sure you are grateful for everything he has done. So let him get on with his life."
Harry raised his eyebrows at Draco. He'd said exactly what Harry had been thinking, but would never have actually said himself.
The woman looked taken aback. "And what business do you have with him?" she demanded, sounding slightly angry and offended. "You're that Malfoy boy."
"Yes, I am, so run along now before I do something nasty," Draco drawled.
She gasped in indignation and looked to Harry, as if he were going to shake his finger in Draco's face for being naughty or something.
Harry only raised his hands up a bit and gave a strange shrug.
She gasped with even more indignation. "Well I surely thought that you – I certainly thought that – If you're out and about with the likes of him -" she spluttered.
"There's nothing wrong with him," Harry found himself saying, despite the fact that Draco still wasn't his friend by any means. "He hasn't done anything to you." He didn't say it nastily, but she looked at him as if he had.
"Harry, I only hope you know what trouble you're likely to get in," she sniffed. She turned abruptly and walked away, slapping a Galleon forcefully down at the bar before leaving altogether.
Draco grinned up at Harry. "See, now, that wasn't hard, was it?"
Harry flopped back down in his seat. "Well, now that I feel terribly guilty and have lost a fan," he said, but he was smiling slightly.
"You want fans?" Draco asked.
Harry snorted. "It was a joke," he said.
Draco smiled back. "You need someone around to be rude for you," he teased.
"Applying for the job?" Harry asked with another small snort.
"Sounds amusing," Draco said. "And if you keep them from kicking my arse, that's a bonus."
"All right," Harry said with a grin. "I'll keep them from kicking your arse if you keep them from kissing mine."
Draco blushed at the idea of kissing Harry's arse and looked down.
Harry raised an eyebrow at the blush, but didn't ask. He drank from his butterbeer again, knowing he could finish it now in just a few big gulps. He looked at the watch he'd gotten for his birthday the previous year, seeing that it was nearly six. He'd told the Weasleys that he would be back by then. He sighed. Still, for a reason that was really quite mysterious to him, he didn't want to leave, but he didn't know what it was. The conversation wasn't exactly an interest-holder. "It's six," he said.
"Yes, do you have to be somewhere?" Draco asked. He felt more comfortable now and didn't relish going back to the Manor.
"Well, I said I would be home by six," Harry elaborated. "I don't fancy everyone worrying about me."
Draco sighed. "Well, if you have to go then ...."
Harry wondered if he was imagining the reluctance in Draco's tone. "Well," he said, "maybe we could get together again sometime. You know, if you ever want to get out."
Draco looked up, smiling a little again. "Yes, I would like that," he said.
Harry smiled back. "Drop me a line or something then," he said, taking the gulps out of his bottle and then laying a few Sickles on the table. "I'm hardly ever doing anything, unless I'm, well, you know – doing the 'hero' stuff."
"Good luck with that," Draco said, and stood up.
Harry laughed a little, standing as well and holding his hand out once again.
Draco smirked and took Harry's hand, squeezing it.
Harry smiled again. "See you around, Malfoy," he said. He felt good, like he'd done something nice for someone and it had actually helped.
Draco watched him leave. It was too late to buy his potions supplies and his stomach was still bruised, but he felt happy for the first time in a long while.
Chapter Title: Unwelcome Attention
Words: 3337 Words
Draco walked beside Harry, glancing at him as he did.
"So, doing any better than the last time I saw you, or still the same?" Harry tried to say lightly, giving Malfoy a small smile. He didn't know how to act around the man. It wasn't like he was used to being friendly with him.
Draco shrugged. "Well, it helps having my wand back," he replied cautiously.
"Er, yeah," Harry said. "It does help to have a wand." Feeling oddly ashamed for stealing Draco's wand, Harry looked away from him in favour of staring ahead. He remembered the feeling of losing his own, of thinking he would never be able to use it again. He wondered if Malfoy had felt the same.
"I can do potions work again, for example," the blond said, looking for something positive to say.
"Yeah," Harry said again, and then he frowned slightly. "If you ... had your wand," he said, "why didn't you, well, try to fight back?"
Draco snorted, shooting an annoyed glance at the ignorant man. "Because I am under probation," he answered. "If I attack someone else, then I join my father in prison."
"Oh," Harry said. "Yeah, I – yeah, I guess you would be." He went silent for a few seconds as they walked. "You could report them, you know," he continued. "Those blokes."
"No one would believe me," Draco said, and shrugged. "Besides, if I reported them all, I would have to spend more time at the Ministry."
"Yeah," Harry said, sighing. "Oh," he said, stopping suddenly, "here's the shop I was coming to." He pointed to the building, Dennison Jewellers.
"Jewellery?" Draco asked. "Who is the gift for?"
"Ginny," Harry answered. "It's the only thing I could think to get her."
"Your girlfriend?" Draco asked, arching an eyebrow.
Harry looked at Draco and nodded.
Draco knew he had no good reason for it to bother him, but it did. "Must be serious if you are getting jewellery," he said.
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Serious?" he said. "Getting jewellery means it's serious?"
Draco nodded, always amazed that Potter was so clueless about things. "You usually give a friend books or something of that nature. Jewellery is a symbol of the relationship. Rings even more so."
"Well, I just – I just thought she would like some earrings or something," Harry explained. "I mean, I love Ginny, but I don’t, well, I mean I don't want her to get the wrong idea or anything, you know?"
Both of Draco's eyebrows went up. "What would be the wrong idea and what would be the right?" he asked.
Harry frowned, thinking about that. "Well, I want her to know that I care about her, but I don't want her to think I want to get ... married or anything." He made a strange face. "Not anytime soon. Earrings wouldn't make her think that, would they?"
"Earrings would be safer than a ring or pendant, but would confirm that you are in a relationship," Draco said, sighing. He couldn't believe he was advising Potter on what to get the Weaselette. "How expensive they are matters as well," he added.
Harry sighed, too. He probably would have just gone in, picked out something he liked and simply bought it. "How do you know all this?" he asked.
"I was brought up to pay attention to details about social standing," Draco replied.
Harry arched an eyebrow. "Right," he said. "Well, I guess earrings will do. Ones that aren't super expensive, but nice though."
Draco couldn't believe what he was about to say, and he made a bit of a face. "Would you like help?" he asked.
Harry nearly laughed at the face. "Well, you don't have to help, but if you want," he said.
"It's the least I can do," Draco answered politely, and gestured to the shop.
Harry shrugged, walking over and pulling open the door. Glass cases stood around the room, displaying their gold and diamonds and pearls. He couldn’t believe Draco Malfoy was going to help him get something for Ginny, but he seemed to know what he was talking about and Harry didn't have a clue about it.
"Do you know what kind of jewellery she favours?" Draco asked.
"Er, well, no actually," Harry answered. "She usually just wears some little diamond earrings I think she got from her mum. Her favourite colour's green, if that matters."
Draco smirked at that, finding it funny he shared that with the girl. "Well, maybe a small set of emerald earrings would be appropriate," he said.
The shopkeeper was hovering nearby and immediately began showing them selections of earrings.
Harry ended up getting a small set of emerald earrings like Draco had suggested. He was glad to have it out of the way and was able to leave the shop in the short time it took to pay for them. "Thanks," he said to Draco once they were back out on the street. He stuffed the little bag with the earrings into his pocket with his wand and the rest of his money. "I probably would have picked out the wrong thing."
"Well, I am sure she will like them," Draco said, sighing. His hands twisted in his robe; he was reluctant to say goodbye to the other man.
"Yeah," said Harry. "I guess I'll be heading back then." For some reason, he didn't want to say goodbye either, if only to make sure that Malfoy wasn't murdered out on the street, but he figured that would probably be an odd thing to stay for and he couldn't think of any other reason he might stay.
"Do you ...." Draco trailed off and then took a breath. "Would you like to get a drink or something? My errand can wait."
"Um, well, sure," said Harry, honestly surprised. "I guess I'm not in any hurry."
"Wherever you like," Draco said. He noticed people staring at them as they stood there.
"Leaky Cauldron?" Harry offered. "Should be quiet enough in there at this time of day."
"Certainly," Draco said, gesturing again for Potter to lead.
Harry nodded, turning 'round to head in the opposite direction. He really couldn't figure out in his own mind why he was glad Malfoy had suggested getting a drink. Yes, he did still want to make sure the man was okay, but there was ... something else too. He shot a few glares at people who gave Malfoy nasty looks, but they made it to the Leaky Cauldron without much trouble.
Draco pointed out a corner booth and headed in that direction, slipping into a seat.
Harry sat across from him, folding his hands on the table. "So ..." he began, trailing off as he tried to think of what to talk about. “You’ve been doing potion work?"
"Not really work," Draco said, trying to signal the proprietor. "I am doing some experiments. I like changing potions and seeing what develops."
"Ah, interesting," Harry nodded, and was saved from having to say anything else for the moment when Tom, the toothless old innkeeper, shuffled over to them.
"What can I get you boys?" he asked, staring between them as if slightly confused to see them together.
"Um, I'll just have a butterbeer," Harry said.
Tom nodded and raised an eyebrow at Draco.
"The same," he replied. He rested one hand on the table, but the other remained in his lap, plucking nervously at his robe.
Harry tapped his fingers on the table, looking over at Draco as Tom shuffled off again to get the drinks.
Draco found himself staring at Harry's fingers as they drummed on the table. "What have you been doing then?" he asked.
"The 'hero' stuff," Harry answered quietly with a small huff to accompany it. "Stupid really, but ..." He shrugged, ending the sentence there.
"Sometimes I think they couldn't have picked better or worse, if they had had a choice," Draco said, smirking.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, nodding to old Tom as he shuffled over yet again and set their butterbeers on the table. He reached for one of them.
Draco waited until Tom left, and then traced a finger through the condensation on the side of the glass bottle. "First, you were the best choice as a hero, because you actually had what it took to do it, obviously. But also because you aren't manipulative enough to use it to exploit others."
"I had a lot of help," Harry said to the first comment. "And, well, I guess I like to think I'm not manipulative."
Draco shook his head. "And the second half because you are one who neither knows how nor wants to play the role they want to cast you in," he explained.
Harry sighed and rested his head against the back of the high padded seat, tilting his face up. "Isn't that the truth," he said, staring at the ceiling.
"Actually, I tell the truth most of the time," Draco said with a smirk. "It's just that people never believe it of me."
Harry raised an eyebrow at that, groping for his butterbeer blindly and bringing the bottle to his lips. "I suppose I don't know you very well," he admitted after he'd taken a drink. "Even being in the same year."
"No, I don't suppose you do," Draco agreed, looking up to meet Harry's eyes.
Harry looked at Draco as well, moving to sit up straighter. "I guess we never got on," he said, though he didn't suppose it – he knew it.
"You weren't interested in 'getting on' with anyone in Slytherin," Draco pointed out.
"I don't think anyone in Slytherin was interested in getting on with me either," Harry said. "I suppose it's predetermined, though. Gryffindors don't like Slytherins and vice versa. Seems like it anyway."
"I wonder what would have happened if you had been sorted into Slytherin," Draco mused.
Harry arched an eyebrow again. "I don't know," he said. "I guess a lot of things would have been completely different."
Draco had thought about it a lot, actually, but didn't say so. He had wondered, for example, if Harry hadn't made friends with Ron Weasley, would it have made a difference? It didn't matter now, but unfortunately Draco had too much time on his hands to think about the past.
Harry sat looking at Draco and thinking. He didn't know what made him say it, perhaps just trying to keep the conversation from pausing awkwardly, but he opened his mouth. "The hat wanted to put me there," he confessed. "In Slytherin." It wasn't something he normally shared, but it didn't really bother him anymore.
Draco's eyes widened and he nearly choked on the sip of beer he had been taking.
Harry snorted quietly. "All right there?"
Draco picked up his napkin and dabbed his chin, grimacing. "What did you say?" he asked when he could.
"The Sorting Hat wanted to put me in Slytherin," Harry repeated. "I asked not to be," he admitted.
"You asked ...." Draco closed his mouth, frowning. "I didn't know anyone had a choice."
"Well, I didn't exactly choose Gryffindor," explained Harry. "Just not Slytherin. I'd heard bad things about it before I got there, so I didn't want to be sorted into that House. You were sorted into Slytherin right away – literally. You didn't ask to be there?"
Draco was still frowning. "I expected to be in Slytherin, like my father, and I wanted it. But no, the hat did not ask my opinion on the matter."
"It didn't ask me either," said Harry. "I was just thinking it – that I didn't want to be in Slytherin. It tried to persuade me, but then I ended up in Gryffindor."
Draco flushed and looked away, fingers tight on the bottle of butterbeer.
Harry frowned at that. "I don't have anything against that House now," he said, thinking he must've said something. "I was eleven."
"I remember," Draco whispered, still not looking at him.
Harry took another drink of butterbeer and then reached up to scratch the back of his neck. He was nearly flushed himself, from the weird turn this was taking. "Remember what?" he asked.
"When you were Sorted," Draco said, looking down at the table now. "I wasn't pleased."
"Why?" Harry asked, his brows low over his eyes.
Draco realised he had dug himself into a hole and he wasn't sure how to get out. He shrugged, blushing at the memory.
Harry was tempted to say, "What? That's it?" But he didn't. He looked away, feeling a little awkward now.
"I guess, after meeting you in the robe shop ..." Draco trailed off again, and took a sip of the butterbeer.
Harry looked back at him again. "Meeting me in the robe shop?" he asked. "What's that got to do with anything?"
"Nothing, I suppose," Draco answered.
Harry gave Draco an odd look. "What?" he asked, confused.
"It was a long time ago," Draco sighed, "and I didn't know the things I do now."
Harry could barely remember the words spoken all those years ago. He only knew that he hadn't liked Draco very much and that the man had never really done anything to change his opinion of him. "It was a long time ago," he agreed. "And the same goes for me, or at least I hope I know a lot more since then."
Draco felt the years like a weight, his shoulders dropping with it. And the worst part was, that as clumsy as this conversation was, it was the best one he had had in months.
Harry sighed, leaning back again. He did think it was rather discomforting to be talking about their time in Hogwarts. They weren't exactly nice times where they were involved with each other, but what else could they possibly talk about? "A lot has changed," he said quietly, nodding. He could feel the conversation sort of coming to an end, but he still had half a butterbeer left. He was drawing a blank as far as where to go next. As they sat in silence, Harry got a sort of prickling feeling, like he was being watched. He glanced off to the side. A woman was staring at him, her eyes slightly wide. She turned away when she was spotted, but when Harry turned back to Draco, he could see her peek at him again. He recognised the look. It was one he dreaded.
"Oh, great," he muttered quietly. "I hope she doesn't come over here."
Draco looked up and shook his head. "We each have a similar problem. They adore you, and they hate me, but won't leave either of us alone."
Harry sighed, having known it was inevitable. He kept his eyes locked on Draco's without even realising the intensity of his stare, because he was really focusing on the woman still and didn't want to encourage her to come over.
Just when he thought he was going to be safe, the woman hesitantly stood to her feet and began making her way over. He sighed again, flushing slightly, but unsure why he felt so embarrassed in front of Malfoy. Harry continued to stare at Malfoy, wondering if the woman would go away if he didn't look. But she didn't go away. She came right up to the table and cleared her throat.
Harry finally turned his head and gave her a tight-lipped smile.
"Hi," she said, slightly breathless. "I – you're Harry Potter."
"Yeah," said Harry.
Draco smirked but didn't look at the woman, keeping his eyes on Harry.
"Well, you must – I mean you really must get this all the time, but," the woman paused, "thank you." Her eyes were tearful.
Oh, no. It was one of those ones. "Please don't," Harry said in what he tried to make a soothing voice. "Really. There's no need to thank me."
"So modest," she said fondly, a few tears escaping.
Harry groaned inwardly as he got to his feet, stiffly patting the crying woman's shoulder.
"Madam," Draco interrupted, "Mr Potter and I were having a private conversation. I am sure you are grateful for everything he has done. So let him get on with his life."
Harry raised his eyebrows at Draco. He'd said exactly what Harry had been thinking, but would never have actually said himself.
The woman looked taken aback. "And what business do you have with him?" she demanded, sounding slightly angry and offended. "You're that Malfoy boy."
"Yes, I am, so run along now before I do something nasty," Draco drawled.
She gasped in indignation and looked to Harry, as if he were going to shake his finger in Draco's face for being naughty or something.
Harry only raised his hands up a bit and gave a strange shrug.
She gasped with even more indignation. "Well I surely thought that you – I certainly thought that – If you're out and about with the likes of him -" she spluttered.
"There's nothing wrong with him," Harry found himself saying, despite the fact that Draco still wasn't his friend by any means. "He hasn't done anything to you." He didn't say it nastily, but she looked at him as if he had.
"Harry, I only hope you know what trouble you're likely to get in," she sniffed. She turned abruptly and walked away, slapping a Galleon forcefully down at the bar before leaving altogether.
Draco grinned up at Harry. "See, now, that wasn't hard, was it?"
Harry flopped back down in his seat. "Well, now that I feel terribly guilty and have lost a fan," he said, but he was smiling slightly.
"You want fans?" Draco asked.
Harry snorted. "It was a joke," he said.
Draco smiled back. "You need someone around to be rude for you," he teased.
"Applying for the job?" Harry asked with another small snort.
"Sounds amusing," Draco said. "And if you keep them from kicking my arse, that's a bonus."
"All right," Harry said with a grin. "I'll keep them from kicking your arse if you keep them from kissing mine."
Draco blushed at the idea of kissing Harry's arse and looked down.
Harry raised an eyebrow at the blush, but didn't ask. He drank from his butterbeer again, knowing he could finish it now in just a few big gulps. He looked at the watch he'd gotten for his birthday the previous year, seeing that it was nearly six. He'd told the Weasleys that he would be back by then. He sighed. Still, for a reason that was really quite mysterious to him, he didn't want to leave, but he didn't know what it was. The conversation wasn't exactly an interest-holder. "It's six," he said.
"Yes, do you have to be somewhere?" Draco asked. He felt more comfortable now and didn't relish going back to the Manor.
"Well, I said I would be home by six," Harry elaborated. "I don't fancy everyone worrying about me."
Draco sighed. "Well, if you have to go then ...."
Harry wondered if he was imagining the reluctance in Draco's tone. "Well," he said, "maybe we could get together again sometime. You know, if you ever want to get out."
Draco looked up, smiling a little again. "Yes, I would like that," he said.
Harry smiled back. "Drop me a line or something then," he said, taking the gulps out of his bottle and then laying a few Sickles on the table. "I'm hardly ever doing anything, unless I'm, well, you know – doing the 'hero' stuff."
"Good luck with that," Draco said, and stood up.
Harry laughed a little, standing as well and holding his hand out once again.
Draco smirked and took Harry's hand, squeezing it.
Harry smiled again. "See you around, Malfoy," he said. He felt good, like he'd done something nice for someone and it had actually helped.
Draco watched him leave. It was too late to buy his potions supplies and his stomach was still bruised, but he felt happy for the first time in a long while.