Pens
“What is that?”
Harry had returned to Hogwarts with Ron and Hermione, some of the other DA members, and some other students who wanted time to finish their education. The now gutted room of requirement had been turned into an ‘eighth year’ dormitory, and a smaller table sat in front of the staff table at meals, though students were free to join their old houses. They had a more free schedule and a few more liberties than were usually allotted to students as they were more or less adults and it seemed silly to impose things like curfews. Though the headmistress had implied that they were to set an example for younger students and not abuse these privileges.
Harry, Ron and Hermione had been taking weekend trips once a month. Nowhere fancy, just to get out of the castle and feel normal for a bit. Harry and Hermione had found a rather nice stationery shop in London last weekend, and after some annoying searches from Filch, they decided to upgrade some of their school supplies.
“A pen.” Harry explained simply. Then kept copying Hermione’s transfiguration notes.
In hope of squashing any discrimination, Harry led by example in accepting those who had paid for their crimes, or were deemed innocent. The first few weeks had been rough, Draco and some of the other Slytheren were the targets of most pranks, and most prefects from other houses often found themselves turning a blind eye. Harry had put out that other DA members should prevent and stop any bullying, no matter the target.
Draco and the others were skeptical at first. But after Draco received an exploding letter and himself, along with many other Slytherins were hit with great globs of undiluted bubotuber pus, Harry set off a smoke charm to shield any deformities while Hermione lead them in a line off to the hospital wing. Even Ron stood by the great hall entrance, hitting each student with scourgify to keep the effects from getting worse. So, in that hospital wing, a truce was formed, and Draco started spending more free time studying with them. Being seen with the chosen one, great savior of the wizarding world, calmed things down.
Harry felt Draco watching the thing with curious eyes. Sneaking a glance, Harry had to stifle a laugh as Draco looked a bit like a muggle child being shown magic.
“The end does look like a quill…” Draco pondered out loud. “But you haven’t dipped the end in twenty minutes. Self inking? Is this a design from that joke shop?”
“The ink is inside.”
Draco looked puzzled. Harry huffed a slight laugh and unscrewed one end, showing the tank of ink.
“You just gotta fill this up every so often.”
Draco nodded, seeming satisfied, and looked back to his work. Harry watched him as he twirled his own quill and figitied with the end of his parchment.
“Would you like to try it?”
Draco tossed his, probably very expensive, halk quill off to the side and scrambled for the pen Harry had offered.
He pulled out fresh parchment and wrote his own name, his handwriting was so much better than Harry’s, the nip tip suited his hand as he swirled the pen about.
“It’s so smooth. No scratching sounds… no stray drops.”
“Keep it.”
Draco looked up at him shocked, but Harry was already fishing around in his pocket for the case that had instructions and the ink he had bought for it. As well as an old ballpoint pen. He never used the cheap ballpoints on homework but he was just copying notes. So the cheaper pen should be fine.
“Here.” He handed the case over. “There are instructions for cleaning and how to refill the ink tank in the case.”
Draco marveled at it. He looked up, probably to offer a rare thanks or refuse the gift, when he caught sight of Harry’s cheap ballpoint.
“What is that?”
“Also a pen. Cheaper. And not refillable.”
Draco’s eyes sparkled and Harry felt his stomach twitch. “You can try this one too, but I’ll need it back to write with.”
Draco took the pen and wrote out his name again, then he picked it up and looked at the tip, playing with the little ball point.
“Amazing. What do these things cost?”
“That one?” Harry tried to do the math in his head. “Probably a knut for about 10.” “The other one is a lot more fancy. Probably about a galleon.” Harry was never sure about the pound to knut exchange rate. It seemed to be fluctuating lately.
Draco looked stunned. He looked at the fountain pen and the small ball point.
“I can pa-”
“It's a gift, Malfoy.”
“For what.”
For being shockingly adorable, Harry’s mind supplied. He had been dealing with thoughts like that ever since he had gotten back to Hogwarts and found out Draco had been taking muggle studies from April Abbot, a squib and secret twin of Hannah Abbot. It had been one of the big motivators to protect the Slytherins. Not just because it was right, but he could see Draco trying to change.
“For being better.” Harry said simply. “I can see you’re trying. The pen is nice but I can always go buy another one.”
“From where?”
……
Harry promised he would take Draco to the same stationary shop by next weekend. So, there they were, walking to hogsmeade in the chill of late October. Draco had decided to ‘dress the part’. He was wearing a black ‘got milk?’ t-shirt with an oversized denim jacket over it. He also was wearing fit black jeans that were absolutely unfair.
“You could have just worn your normal clothing.”
“You said we’re going to the heart of muggle London. Do you want me to stand out?”
“No, but muggles wear jumpers and trousers.”
Malfoy considered this.
“Where did you even buy those?” Harry asked. Seeing Draco dressed so casual was odd. Not bad odd… Just… odd.
“Muddles of Muggles. They have been supplying wizards with muggle garb since 1807. They’re set up in Hogsmeade but it's a little aways from the mainstreet.”
“And you just bought those… for fun?”
Draco looked slightly offended. “They looked nice! And they were the least dust smelling anyway.”
Better than wearing a woman's nightgown, Harry remembered some of the odd fashion at the quidditch world cup.
Once they were past the Hogwarts boundary Draco took Harry’s arm without prompting.
“Well, lead on then. To the pens!”
Merlin, why was that so cute? Harry needed to see a therapist. He turned and soon the two arrived in a spot Harry knew as an ill frequented alley way.
“You’ve got your money exchanged?” Harry said though he had brought extra just in case Draco didn’t know the system.
“Mother gave me this…”
Draco held up… a black amex card.
“W- how did-”
“This thing.. I'm told it has the money in it? My mother has used it from time to time.”
“On it, yeah…”
Harry was suddenly worried if it was actually hooked up to a bank account with real money or if the Malfoy family was involved in magical bank fraud. Best not to ask. Draco looked puzzled at the use of Harry’s correction and then set the card flat on his palm, as if he was expecting money to appear on it like a Hogwarts meal.
“I’ll explain later, let's go.”
Draco stood out. Not in a wizard way, but in a way that just… drew attention. His jaw dropped when they entered the three story local run shops. There had been a display of pens in the Window that Draco bounced in front of like a child looking at the newest racing broom. Harry could hear giggles from around them and pulled the excited boy into the shop.
Draco still favored the pens, he must have tried out every single sample. He wrote his name out on the little demo paper pads in a different arrangement each time.
“Hello sirs, wow! Are you a professional calligrapher?” one of the shopkeepers asked on approaching. She handed the two a wire basket so Harry could unload the pens and ink he had been holding.
“What’s that?”
“Someone who writes pretty for a living.” Harry answered.
“You can do that?!” Draco said, a bit louder than he probably intended.
“Sure!” The shopkeeper answered. If she thought something was off, she didn’t show it. “In Fact we have some calligraphy style notebooks in that section over there, and high quality paper next to that.” Draco left without a word to either of them.
“Your boyfriend is adorable.” The girl commented. She had large round spectacles that sat on a cute button nose. With a freckled face, and hair tied back tight except for a few fly aways, she looked a bit like an owl.
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
“Not yet or not ever.” She said with a smile. And Harry choked on some spit, before he could answer, Draco was calling him over.
“POTTER! THEY HAVE INK THAT CHANGES COLOR!”
“You might want to snatch him up quick, he’s drawing attention.”
Harry looked around and noticed other men and women watched Draco fondly, to their eyes they saw an attractive man a little over excited about a new hobby. And he looked the part. He looked like some art student or something in those dark denim jeans and oversized light blue denim jacket.
Harry nodded and quickly made his way over to Draco.
“Keep it down will ya, you’re drawing attention.”
“Oh hush, let me load these up.” Draco loaded sixteen different pots of ink, a few calligraphy tecniche practice books, and four journals.
“You need all this?”
“Who knows when I’ll be able to come back.” Draco said, eyeing a set of brush markers.
“I can take you back here anytime. Heck, you know the place, you’re free to move about.”
“It’s better to go with you.”
Draco can’t have realized what he said, he absolutely could not have any clue. Harry sank till he was squatting on the floor basket next to him, harms folded to hide his face.
…..
Draco was confused at first with the black card, which raised some suspicion from the store clerk, but eventually it went through and they left, laden with bags. It was still early, and Draco pulled Potter by the arm down the street, peering at the latest muggle fashion set in windows. Harry noticed eyes on Draco again and moved closer to his former enemy, keeping their arms linked. Draco didn’t notice. But Harry could just make out the words of a passing group of guys.
‘How did a guy like that snag that beauty.’
Pens. Harry’s mind supplied.