trouble

"Malfoy."

From up close, in the middle of the big hall of the Ministry, Draco seemed even less himself than sitting in his court chair. He was holding a small bag, Harry supposed it to be the stuff the Ministry had given him back. 

"Potter." He turned slowly and faced Harry. His voice was low, weak. "Thanks for helping me in there."

"You helped yourself" Harry shrugged "by doing those things when you had the opportunity. You don't belong in jail."

"Yeah, well. If it hadn't come from the glorious Harry Potter, trust me, nobody in there would have listened to any of it, even less believed me and I would be in a cell as we're talking, getting my mind sucked out of my head by some disgusting dementors." 

"Dreadful." 

"It's fine. Hope you don't mind we called you. I didn't really want to but my lawyer thought… And you had said that you'd, you know." 

"Wouldn't let them put you in Azkaban."

"Right." 

"Well I didn't."

"Sure, thanks for that."

It was getting a little awkward. 

"Going back to Malfoy Manor then ?"

"Nah, it was… Seized. By the Ministry. So, I can't really."

"Oh, well where do your parents stay ?" 

"Azkaban." 

Come on, Harry. "Oh... should have thought about that."

"It's fine. It's the rules I guess."

"So. Where will you stay ?"

Draco stood back, looked at Harry in his own very aristocratic way, suspicious. 

"Why do you care ?"

"I don't." 

They silently stared at each other. Draco didn't hold this attitude for very long, the seemingly constant worry slowly came back to him. Harry offered him to go grab something to drink, and he could see no reason to say no so he accepted. 

They apparated at the Leaky Cauldron, the only wizard place Harry knew in London. Draco was uncomfortable going in but kept his head high and followed him. Some people turned their heads, amazed to see Harry, appalled at Malfoy. The Chosen One and the Malfoy Heir, that was a bit much for the lonely afternoon boosers of the Leaky Cauldron. Harry ignored them and headed to the counter. 

"Two fire whiskeys please." He asked as they seated. 

The waiter's eye darkened at their sight. 

"Sure, Mr Potter…" 

Draco smirked. Miracle boy, he thought. He dropped his bag on the stool next to him. 

"What's in there ?"

"None of your business, Potter." 

"Sure." 

The waiter dropped their drinks and Draco drank it straight up. 

"Looks like you needed it." 

"No shit. Try spending two weeks in jail, then we'll talk."

"Gosh, Malfoy, you're such a thug."

They both laughed. Draco appeared somewhat reinvigorated. Harry was feeling the warmth of alcohol making its way down his throat.

"So where are you stayin' ?"

"For Merlin's sake you're still on this."

"It's just… McLaggen told me you didn't really have anywhere to go."

"Who the fuck is McLaggen ?"

"He works for the ministry. He was in Gryffindor, a year over us."

Draco ordered another round. 

"Well ? What are you gonna do ?"

"I don't know."

"Surely you Malfoys have some second residence or some shit like that."

"All seized." 

"Mmh."

The fire whiskey started jumblling his thoughts. Harry had never really gotten drunk. He had drunk alcohol before, at parties but… he wasn't used to drinking for the sake of drinking. And surely he wasn't used to getting drunk with Draco Malfoy. 

"So where you gonna go ?"

"I told you. I don't know. Probably an inn or something."

"Is it safe ?" 

"Do I have a choice ? Another one !" he told the waiter. "I reckon people won't be very fond of having a Death Eater crashin' in their inn but… I don't know."

Harry was thinking. Draco threw a glance at him, then looked back at his glass, blushed lightly and drank it. Harry was feeling guilty. He didn't know why. Maybe it was knowing that his parents were in Azkaban. Maybe it was the voice of Narcissa in his head. Maybe it was a debt he felt he would never be able to repay. To her and all the others. Maybe it was this feeling of owing his life to so many people, so many other lives wrecked and lost just for him to be alive, without being ever able to do anything about it. Maybe it was the whiskey. Nonetheless, he offered : 

"You could come and stay with me ?"

One of Malfoy's eyebrows raised up, surprised and unconvinced. 

"I'm not that kind of guy, Potter." 

"You know what I mean." 

"Sure, you'll be so glad to find me on your couch when you wake up tomorrow, sober. I'm sure your little friends will be too."

"I'm not staying with my friends. I left the Weasleys about a week ago." 

"So… where do you stay ? My father told me your parent's house had been destroyed when they died."

Bingo, his father and Harry's parents in one sentence. But that reminded Harry he hadn't told the Dursleys that England was safe again. Nevermind, he for all things didn't want to think about the Dursleys now.

"I'm staying at my godfather's house, he left it to me."

"Your godfather… Oh" Malfoy pinched his lips "Black."

"Yeah." 

Harry suddenly realized what Malfoy was probably thinking about. 

"Plus it should have been yours, right ?"

"What ?"

"If Sirius hadn't left it to me, wouldn't it have been your mother's ? They were cousins." 

"Probably."

"So you should stay there. I'll find somewhere else to go."

"I'm not throwing you out of your own house, Potter."

The waiter abruptly came to them and said in a low voice : 

"If I were you, I wouldn't hang around too much." 

The door opened in a blast and a group of young men burst in. 

"They're not all that fond of your kind" the waiter went on with a very heavy look in Draco's direction.

"Come on, Potter, oughta leave. Now !"

"What…"

Draco grabbed his bag on the stool, threw a worried glance at the entrance, some hastily taken out of his pocket money on the counter, then took Harry by the arm and apparated.

When they landed, Harry fell on his knees and hands, dizzily. 

"What the hell ?"

"Get up Potter." 

"What was that ? And where are we ?" 

He got back on his feet, unsteady, and looked around. Surprised. 

"You said you crashed here." 

They were on Grimmauld Square. 

"How'd you know where it was ?" 

"Come on, it's family property."

Harry's head was still dizzy, he tried to take his wand but it fell out of his hand. Draco sighed, and picked it up. 

"Go on, take us in."

Harry fell on the couch, a hand on his head. Nope, definitely not used to drinking. As he closed his eyes, Draco stood uncomfortably next to him. 

"Who were these guys ?"

"Don't worry about it."

Then, after a brief pause, he asked.

"Hum, is it actually okay if I spend the night." 

Harry opened one eye. 

"Mmh ? Yeah, stay as long as you want." 

"You're gonna regret those words," Draco laughed. 

"Is it a threat ?"

"Nah, just a prediction."

"You can just pick one of the rooms, there's plenty enough." 

"Thanks, Potter."