He should've known how to swim, by eleven, but they didn't teach him out of hope he'd drown.
And he was too busy planning, too busy mourning, too busy trying to stop people dying for him to learn skills like dueling during the war, let alone swimming.
But he'd forgotten a lot of his Hogwarts days during the war. Maybe something was retained from the gillyweed, or maybe he learned in the prefects bathroom. The point is, he'd learned to swim. He must've.
It felt so effortless now. He could glide easily through the waters of this sunken room because he was the water. His skin was algae, his hands the moss growing on his blankets. A pinkish fish ducked out from under the rug in his new room, and he realised how his stomach was aching and he had so much blue water inside him. He needed a snack. He kicked his swelling feet and lunged, but the fish was through the cracked window--his bedside window--before he was out of bed.
"Yer up, Harry. Welcome to th' house." It was Hagrid. Harry let a chuckle out of his unbreathing lips. Hagrid was dead. But, now that Harry thought of it, he was too, and he wasn't complaining.
"Hagrid! I missed you so much! So, what is this place?"
A different voice, an almost-drunken voice, cut in, "Well, master calls it the hype house, but we're actually usually really sleepy, a lot of the time."
"Tonks! You're here, too? But... who's this 'master?' Is he the homeowner?"
"I suppose he is a homeowner of sorts," the half-laughing voice of Fred cut in, "but he's an eensie weensie bit more than that."
"I like the sound of this guy"
"We all do." It was Mollie.
"I think we might have to..." Colin.
"But, who is he? Like, his name?" Harry had never been okay with being subservient before, but now he felt okay a lot. He thought vaguely that 'mellow' might be the right word.
And then, to Harry's horror, Tonks said, "it's this Draco kid."
"OUT OF ALL THE PEOPLE," Harry yelled, "HE RUINED MY LIFE TWO TIMES OVER, CAN'T HE LEAVE ME ALONE?!"
But even then, a part of him was okay with it. Maybe Draco was cool now, maybe Draco should be his master.
After two years of cozy, decaying chatting, it was simply how it was. When Master called for his audience, it was an honor.
"So, Harry, I need your advice." Draco was so different from everyone around him. Unbloated skin covered in untorn clothes, untainted by plants and creatures.
"Of course, I'd do anything for you, Master"
"I have a new struggle to deal with, one which you may be of the utmost help"
"Tell me alreadyyyyyy," Harry whined, already on the edge of his seat. Other than house drama, there wasn't much to talk about, normally.
"..."
"Pleaseeee?"
"It's girl troubles."
"How am I supposed to help with that?"
"It's your friend, Hermione."
"We aren't really friends anymore, master. I'm only friends with my housemates now."
"Do you know if she might like me?"
"She did always look at you a certain way..." Gears were turning in Harry's head.
"The problem is, my associate, Zabini, has told me she already has a something with someone else. He didn't specify the details, but something happened during routine anatomy lessons between the two."
"Well, you're hot, Draco, you can probably win steal Hermione from whoever it is. Who is it?"
"Well... her name is Pangolin... she's really sweet and kind and has pinkish hair and she's cu-"
"Actually, no." Harry could really see Hermione with this Pangolin girl.