Chapter 23
“Potter!” Grimble yelled as Harry stepped into his office.
“Sir.” Harry nodded before breaking into a run. Out of the Auror office he fled to the stairs. Up three flights he burst back into the hallways and down the corridor. He threw open the door to the infirmary making the staff jump.
“What in Merlin’s name-“ Draco started to shout but Harry cut him off. He grabbed his face and kissed Draco as hard as he could. When Harry finally found the will to pull himself away he was greeted by a horrified Draco.
“Perhaps we should finish this conversation in my office.” Draco said, grabbing Harry roughly by the elbow and leading him away from the stunned crowd. Draco slammed the door behind him.
“What the hell do you think you’re-“ Draco was once again interrupted by Harry’s lips. This time he relented and kissed back. Harry came up for air and Draco was finally able to speak.
“Stop doing that. I’m trying to yell at you.” Draco scolded.
“I didn’t kill him.”
“What?”
“Your father, I didn’t… it wasn’t me.”
“You remember what happened?” Draco seemed careful.
“Some. I remember I didn’t do it.”
“Okay, Harry.” Draco spoke softly.
“What’s wrong?” Harry was sure this was the good news Draco was hoping for.
“Nothing. It’s good you remember.” Draco was lying and Harry could tell.
“I thought you’d be happy it wasn’t me… I thought maybe you’d stop being mad at me.”
“Who told you I was mad at you?”
“I never see you anymore.” Harry pouted.
“Well they won’t let me right now.”
“Why not?” Harry felt like the toddler throwing the tantrum instead of Draco for once.
“Because someone did kill him, and the only memory that seems to count around here is yours.” Draco said agitated.
“Oh.” Harry thought very hard. Whoever had cast the spell was still hidden by the fog. “I don’t remember who…”
Harry tried to remember more clearly but the picture was out of focus. There was no person in the image, but Harry thought he could just barely see a hand through the doorway.
“Let me see your feet.” Draco interrupted Harry’s thoughts.
“What?” Harry was confused at the turn in the conversation. Draco pointed down and saw a trail of bloody prints all over the floor. Harry sat down on Draco’s desk as he examined the lacerations.
“You better remember soon.” Draco stood after healing the wounds. “Because I’d like to kiss you some more.”
Harry smiled. It was not the way Harry planned to kiss Draco for the first time, but he couldn’t take it back now and he had no plans on stopping either. Draco smiled back at him and they shared one more chaste kiss before Ron burst through the door.
“Come on, we better get you back.” Ron was out of breath.
“I’m not going back.” Harry sat down in the chair behind Draco’s desk.
“Harry, you have to go.” Ron put his hand on his knees in an attempt to breathe.
“Why? Give me one good reason. I’ve remembered more today visiting Malfoy Manor than I have in the whole two weeks you’ve kept me locked up in the sodded house.”
“Listen mate, we can argue about this back at yours.” Ron straightened and popped his back.
“Ron-” Harry started to argue once again.
“Harry,” Draco cut him off. “I trusted you once when you asked me too. This time you have to trust me. Just do what they say, it’s a lot easier.”
“Okay.” Harry wanted to argue more. To slam his fists down and demand someone explain to him what the hell was going on. But Draco had asked Harry to trust him, and Harry desperately wanted to show him that he did. Without a word Harry rose from the chair and let Ron lead him out of the infirmary. The staff all leered and whispered at Harry as he passed.
“What’s that about?” Ron asked, looking confused at the wild stares and pointing fingers.
“I kinda kissed Draco… in the middle of a staff meeting.”
“Ah Gross.” Ron wrinkled his nose. “I mean it’s Malfoy, wasn't it like kissing a toad?”
“Well actually it was-”
“No. No. Not another word.” Ron threatened and Harry laughed at him.
Back at Grimmauld Hermione was waiting for them in the living room. She knocked Harry in the side of the head as he came in the door.
“You want someone else to come babysit you huh? You want to be watched by some low level idiot auror apprentice?” Hermione yelled.
“Hey!” Harry rubbed his head and Ron took a seat on the couch.
“The ministry has ordered you to be under lock and key until the whole matter is settled. Ron and I stupidly thought you’d prefer to hang out with one of us all day but if all you’re going to do is run around jumping into flughs and kissing doctors-”
“I’m out.” Ron rose from the couch and headed to the kitchen.
“How’d you hear about that?”
“Oh, Harry, EVERYONE has heard about that by now.” Hermione chided and continued her lecture. Harry ignored her. Everyone had heard about it? Harry wasn’t sure who Draco would want knowing and while he didn’t regret the kiss he now felt very, very stupid.
“Alright, Hermione! I’m sorry!” Harry held up his hands to make the yelling stop.
“I know it’s not easy for you,” Hermione calmed down. “I want to help you, I really do but my hands are tied. I can’t tell you anymore than you already know.” Hermione looked sullenly at the floor.
“Well then help me in a different way.” Harry took her hand. “What would you do, to help yourself remember?”
Hermione took a minute and thought about it. Ron emerged from the kitchen with a sandwich now that he was certain the talk of kissing was over.
“Maybe you can try to make a timeline of everything you remember, so you can keep what you know down straight.” Hermione suggested. Of course Hermione’s suggestion would make the whole thing sound like homework.
“I can do that. I’ll go to my office and start.” Harry sighed and climbed the stairs.
In his office he pulled out some parchment and a pen. He drew a line and started laying out his memories one by one. On paper they seemed much less solvent and he realized he had remembered more than he thought. He leaned back from the desk and examined the timeline. After an hour Kreacher brought him a plate of roasted chicken and potatoes.
“Kreacher?”
“Yes Master Harry.”
“When I got back to the house, Mr. Malfoy was with me… I saw you for a moment, but then you disappeared.”
“Yes.”
“Where did you go?”
“To retrieve Master Draco. You were very poorly.”
“And when you returned, when you and Draco came back to the room… Lucius was already dead.”
“Yes.”
“I don’t understand.” Harry rubbed his eyes. He had not been alone with Lucius when the spell was cast, but everyone else in the house wasn’t downstairs. Had another person entered?
“Master Harry, I am forbidden to tell you anything that you don’t know.”
“I understand Kreacher.”
“But I wonder…. Is Kreacher allowed to remind Master Harry of things he is sure that he knows.” Kreacher asked carefully. Harry couldn’t quite follow the sentence but he nodded yes.
“When Mrs. Malfoy came to visit… she did not come alone.” Kreacher reminded Harry. There was only one other in the house that night, the small wrinkled hand came into focus in Harry’s mind. From the office he fled to the living room where Hermione sat knitting while Ron slept off his sandwich.
“I know what happened.”