Potter Hall Farm

After his conversation with Sirius, it was like a wall collapsed, and in the ensuing weeks Sirius and Draco spent more time together than ever.
Draco would spend his mornings following Harry, Remus, or one of the Weasley brother’s around the farm, doing his best to help despite his staggering incompetence. They didn't really need his help; Molly’s overabundance of sons meant that there was always manpower available when needed, but Draco was there to earn his keep and so he awoke at five each morning, usually to help with milking the cows, before following his assigned babysitter-most often Harry, who barely acknowledged his presence at all- for the day around the fields for hours until lunch. After lunch, he was usually let off, and this time he spent in the house with Sirius, talking.

And oh, did they talk. They spent hours bitching about the Blacks, and Draco about his father. Sirius talked about his upbringing, about how his father would hit him with his cane, and so Sirius resented having to use his.
Draco spoke of how his father made him spend the Saturdays and Sundays of primary school in extra tutoring, and so Draco never learnt how to make friends. He spoke of how isolated this made him; how, in secondary school, he turned to cruelty because he knew neither how to form nor maintain friendships and he was so jealous of those who could.

It was nice, having someone who could relate. Sirius was the person Draco had always needed growing up, and how he finally had him. Being able to complain about his father without the worry of being screamed at, of having his phone taken away and being shut in his room for hours on end for voicing displeasure. It was freeing.

Sirius seemed to find it the same, it seemed. Though weighed down by the pain of the past, Sirius seemed to get more and more animated during conversations about their family, and he mentioned more than once how nice it was to have a family member who didn’t hate him.

During their conversations, they also resolved to reach out to Andromeda, find out how she had fared since her excommunication from the Black family tree. It took Sirius a day of wracking his brain, but he remembered the surname of the man she had married, and with a name like Andromeda Tonks it wasn’t hard to find her on facebook. Their friend request was still pending, but they both had hope.

The only slightly dark point of the weeks that turned May into June was that Harry hadn’t warmed to Draco any more. He was coldly polite, bordering on near-friendly sometimes, when Draco was traipsing after him on the farm, but he still maintained his distance, and though Draco loved that Remus and Sirius seemed to like him so much, he still craved the company of someone his own age. There was more often than not one of the Weasley son’s round, often Ron, and they always took up Harry’s full attention, Draco left somewhat forgotten on the end of the table, talking to Remus about something or other.

That day, Sirius had mentioned that Effie was coming over for dinner again. It was a monthly thing, he explained. He also explained that she was Harry’s paternal grandmother, and that her and her husband Monty had emigrated to England from India when they were in their twenties, and had bought this farm, which at the time had been entirely dilapidated, having been bombed in the war with no one around bothered to rebuild it. The only things that had survived were the farmhouse and cottage, but they were worse-for-wear and surrounded by the debris of bombed-out barns and animal carcasses.

Effie and Monty had then bought the farm, re-named it after themselves and re-built it from the ground up, starting with only a dairy herd and a handful of sheep. He spoke of how they worked tirelessly to create a business that was strong enough for them to pass down to their son, of how this was where Sirius came when he was kicked out, how he became a second son to them, and thus how he inherited. He ghosted over James’ death, but talked of how he and Remus had moved here straight after, adopting Harry as their own and raising him as they knew his parents would have wanted.

Draco’s heart ached for the tumultuous and painful life Sirius had lived through so young, and he simultaneously admired Sirius for being so strong, and so cheerful even through all that he had faced. He also ached for Harry, and how unimaginably hard it must be to be orphaned and not be old enough to even withhold memories of your parents.

Effie came and made curry again, with a spinach dish that Draco couldn't pronounce the name of, but that he thoroughly enjoyed. The paratha and rice also made a return, this time with extra naan.
A notable absence at the table, however, was Harry. It made sense that after the last time he would not want to be reminded of the pain, but Draco also thought that if he had lost his parents but still had a grandma, he would want to be as close to her as possible.

She nattered on though, talking about her day completely oblivious to the missing person, which Draco could see was making Sirius and Remus uncomfortable, likely because it showed the progression of her illness.

Draco ate silently, the feeling of being an intruder washing over him once again, and he kept his head bent over his food as if to ensure no one noticed he was there. It worked, Remus and Sirius obviously too preoccupied to engage him in conversation, and the minute it was polite to do so, Draco fled

… and ran straight into Harry in his haste to leave the farm house.

“Shit, shit I’m so sorry, I’m sorry, sorry” Draco babbled, stumbling back and smoothing down his t-shirt.

“S’alright” Harry said, steadying Draco with a broad hand to the shoulder. The warmth of Harry’s hand soaked through to Draco’s skin and he nearly melted. God, his school-boy crush was really getting pathetic.

“Your grandma cooks really well” Draco said, not knowing what else to fill the silence with. He was worried for a second that Harry would withdraw at the mention of his grandma, but instead he offered Draco a sincere look and said, “aye, that she does. Nothing better than Indian food”

“I’d only had it once before coming here. I’m sure Sirius has told you but my family, ah, aren't the most open minded. I’d always wanted to try it again, I’m glad it's properly homemade here.”

Harry’s face had dropped a little at the mention of his family, but some of the light crept back into his eyes at Draco's somewhat weak assertion that he wasn't like them. Draco remembered Sirius saying Harry probably saw Draco as the same as the other Blacks, and hoped that this conversation would help in changing that belief.

“Nana does make it the best” Harry acquiesced a bit coolly, before standing to the side to let Draco through, and walking into the house. Draco walked back to his cottage with his hand covering the shoulder Harry had touched, trying to pretend it hadn’t meant anything.

The next morning, he was awoken by Harry as per, and they set off to the barn where the milking machine was for the cows, but for the first time since he got there, Ginny was stood waiting by the doors to the barn. Draco felt uncomfortable knowing he was in her trousers, but she didn't even spare him a glance, here eyes on Harry the whole time. Draco thinks he might finally have figured it out- she liked him. A lot.

“Alright there, gin?” Harry said, nodding at her as he passed and opened the neighbouring barn to let the cows out.

“Hey, Harry” Ginny said, skipping over to him, leaving Draco behind. Knowing enough of how the cows got milked, Draco just walked into the barn with the milking machine and opened the little gates to allow the first cows through. As he was doing so, he overheard Harry and Ginny’s conversation, and he peeked over the gate to get a look at them as they led the cows out.

“I feel like I never see you anymore, Harry” Ginny said, and Draco detected that tone in her voice that Pansy always adopted whenever she was talking to her new boy interest of the month.

“I’ve been busy, Gin. showing Draco around t’farm” Harry replied, and Draco saw him shift further away from her. He bristled a bit at being used as an excuse as Harry hadn’t really done anything of the sort, but he saw it for what it was; Harry had no interest in Ginny. Though it shouldn’t, the fact made Draco feel a vindictive sort of pleasure.

“Why’s he even here, anyway?” Ginny asked, looking put out that Draco was seemingly the one coming between her and Harry, oblivious to the fact he had no romantic interest in her.

“He’s come t’see Sirius, and do gap year shit, I don’t really ken, Gin, nor do I really care, so why do you? He seems a decent enough lad lets just leave it at that”

Draco didn't know whether to be complimented at being called ‘decent’, especially given that Harry didn't act towards Draco as if he thought he were decent, or insulted that Harry didn't care about why he was there, but before he could dwell too much, Harry and Ginny were right by the gate, so he stepped aside to allow the cows through, then joined them on the lower level. For the rest of that morning, the conversation went forgotten.

At some point after breakfast, Ginny and Harry passed Draco off to Remus and wandered off somewhere, and Draco didn't see them again until lunch. They came in not looking at each other, both of them stiff and uncomfortable, and they sat as far away from each other as was possible given that there were only five of them at the table. Harry left the minute he finished eating, Ginny hot on his heels. Once they’d both gone, Sirius and Remus shared a look that told Draco that this was an ongoing saga between the two of them.

After lunch, Draco retreated to his little cottage, desperate for a shower and a sit down before he inevitably returned to the house to hang out with Sirius. As he stood in the shower, the warm water cascading over his aching muscles from helping Remus move some sacks of feed the day before, he overheard voices again.

He had opened the little window of his bathroom to let the steam out, and he heard Ginny and Harry once again.

“Gin, I’m sorry, you know I love you like a sister, but not like that. Won't you let it rest? Has it not been too long?” Harry said, his gruff voice pleading.

“If you would just kiss me Harry, and then try and tell me you don’t like me” Ginny responded, sounding both desperate and obstinate. Draco pitied her as much as he disliked her in that moment. He couldn't help but meanly think that she should preserve her dignity and just walk away, rather than begging for something she had already been denied.

“For fucks sake, Gin, fine. I’ll kiss you, and you’ll leave me alone, alreet?” Harry said, anger evident in his tone.

Draco was shocked and a little jealous that he capitulated, and tried to focus on soaping himself in the silence that ensued. Luckily for his fragile ego, the shower water covered up any sounds they may have made, and quickly enough to make Draco feel a little better, he heard Harry’s voice.

“It’s still a no, Gin. and I think you should go home.” he sounded tired, and Draco had to wonder how long Ginny’s crush on Harry had lasted, and why it was only coming to a head now.

“Fuck you, Harry” Draco heard Ginny say, tears evident in the thickness of her voice. She sounded so upset he couldn't even feel happy that Harry hadn’t wanted her, especially because he knew there was no way Harry would ever want him. He stepped out of the shower and towelled off, shimmying into a clean pair of Ginny’s cargo trousers and a t-shirt that he had stolen from a friend at school. Jamming his feet into his walking boots but not arsed to lace them up, he traipsed across the lawn to the big house.

As he was toeing off his boots in the hallway, he heard Harry’s voice coming from the sitting room where he always found Sirius waiting for him, either reading a book or going over the farm accounts. Sirius was basically the bookkeeper of Potter Hall Farm.

“I can’t help feeling like I’ve fucked it, but it wasn't even my fault. Why can’t the lass just leave me alone?” asked Harry.

“She’s fancied herself in love with you since she knew what love is, Harry.”

“You were t’one to teach me about boundaries. What am I supposed t’do when she won't respect them?” was Harry’s reply. Draco inched closer to the door.

“I know, Harry, I know. You did nothing wrong, and she’ll get over it. She’ll be back to school at the end of this summer, and she’ll be out of your hair.” Sirius soothed.

“I really hope Ron doesn't hate me” Harry sighed, and Draco remembered for the first time that Ginny was Ron’s sister, and that this would inevitably split his loyalties.

“Ron could never, my boy.”

Draco took this as his cue to knock on the door jamb and poke his head in.

“Sirius? I can come back later if you’re busy” he said.

“No, no not at all. I’d ask you to offer Harry here some girl advice about Gin, but I doubt you’d know anything about that” Sirius teased, gesturing for Draco to come in. Draco sat on one of the armchairs and took it as a win when Harry, who was draped across one of the sofas, didn’t immediately leave.

“I have little in the way of romantic experience, but my best friend Pansy is not only a girl but also a hopeless romantic, and I know she’d tell you to remember that Ginny’s feeling’s are her own responsibility, not yours, and so is how she handles them. If she wants to put them on you that's her decision and her responsibility.” Draco said.

“That was surprisingly good advice, Draco” Sirius said, smiling at him. Draco blushed, so unused to praise from a father-like figure. Lucius had never once said anything like that. Draco was hoping that he might get some praise on his a-level results when they came, but he knew he was being unrealistic.

“Thanks, Draco,” Harry said, smiling at him. “I hadn’t thought about it like tha”

“Like I said, it’s Pansy’s advice, not mine, but she is a gem and I’m lucky to have her,” Draco said, feeling a pang in his chest when thinking of the best friend he hasn't seen in just over a month.

“She sounds like ‘mione. ‘Mione always gives t’best advice,”Harry said, still smiling at Draco, which caused Draco’s stomach to wobble a little more.

“It’s nice to see you boys getting along,” Sirius said.

“We’re adults, Sirius” Harry said exasperatedly, rolling his eyes at Draco as if it were an inside joke between them, and Draco felt his cheeks heat.

“Nice to see you adults getting along then” laughed Sirius. “I’m going to go and find the love of my life, can the both of you entertain yourselves while I’m gone?” Sirius asked, heaving himself out of his chair and walking out of the room more smoothly than Draco had seen in recent days. It must be a good day for him, then.

“Genuinely though, thanks for tha” Harry said, sitting up and bracing his forearms on his knees, looking at Draco earnestly. “She’s called herself in love with me since she was about ten, and it’s only gotten worse as she’s gotten older and hornier”
Here Harry laughed at his own joke, and Draco couldn't help but think how handsome he looked when he laughed, how carefree and uninhibited.

“That bad?” Draco asked sympathetically.

“Yeah. between her and Bryn sometimes I just want t’run away from here and not come back”

“Bryn?” Draco asked, remembering that Harry doesn't know what Draco does.

“Yea he’s some slimy lad from t’village that won't leave me alone either. Not sure why everyone wants me. Maybe it's because I'm the only brown lad for miles around, makes me exotic” Harry said the last bit self-deprecatingly, and Draco felt surprisingly sorry for him. He had only ever been the object of unwanted attention from girls from the sister school, but he was mean enough that it soon turned most of them off.

“I’m sure that’s not it” said Draco, almost calling Harry handsome but restraining himself at the last minute. “And Bryn sounds like an arsehole”

“Aye, that he is,” Harry sighed. “He tried t’kiss me last summer and I was just drunk enough that I let him for about a minute before pushing him off, and since then he won’t leave me alone.”

“I wish I could offer more advice but this really isn't my area of expertise, '' Draco said.

“Really? And here I was, thinking them boys' schools was pure shagging” Harry said, teasing.

“For some maybe, but not for me” Draco said, trying to cover up how pathetic he felt with a laugh.

“Isn't that a surprise” said Harry cryptically, before he upped and left the room.

Not knowing what to do with himself, Draco walked back to the cottage, where he dramatically flopped down onto the bed and hoped and prayed that today had marked the beginning of some sort of… something between him and Harry. Something that was a bit warmer than the cool indifference of before.