Chapter 27
In the morning Harry stretched across the bed in search of an early cuddle. The farther he reached, the more empty sheets he found. Suddenly a paper crinkled beneath his fingers. With a dissatisfied groan he pulled himself upright to read it.
Gone with mother to the mansion.
Not sure when I’ll return, hoping to talk.
-Draco Malfoy
Harry laughed at his full signature across the bottom of the script paper. It must be second nature for him to sign it so. Harry laid down and studied the messy writing. He let himself imagine how it might feel if the message was signed: Draco Potter.
He shook his head. He hadn’t even taken him on a real date yet, it was too soon to imagine things like that. Harry sighed, how was he ever going to plan a date for someone like Draco? He couldn’t even order in the restaurant yesterday. He needed help.
Harry got out of bed and brushed his teeth. He pulled on running pants and a hoodie. There was only one person he could think of to ask and they were not going to be happy about it. He stepped into the flugh and traveled before he could change his mind.
“Uncle Harry!” Freda shouted and slammed into his legs before he could even move. The twins were crawling towards him, their beady eyes locked into the laces on his boots.
“Mommy, you didn’t tell me Uncle Harry was coming to visit!” Freda accused Hermione who was sitting next to Ron on the couch.
“Mommy didn’t know.” Hermione drank her coffee as if it was the elixir of life itself.
“Sorry to drop in…” Harry said, trying to untangle himself from the children.
“No worries,” Ron yawned. “We’ve been up since dawn.”
“If you want to know about Tillie I really don't have an update, I can’t help her much during the weekend.” Hermione pulled one of the twins off of Harry's feet so he could sit down across from them.
“I actually need your help with something else.” Harry braced himself for what was next. “I asked Draco on a date and now I don’t know what to do.”
“NOoooOoo.” Ron groaned. “I’m too tired to move, change the subject.”
“You can plan a date by yourself Harry honestly.” Hermione rolled her eyes.
“You don’t understand! He’s so class. We went out to lunch yesterday and I didn’t even know how to order, this place was so fancy and everyone was so well dressed and well… you’ve seen Draco, and look at me! I’m hopeless.” Harry flung his arms over his eyes dramatically.
“Well…” Hermione spoke and Harry raised one arm partially to look at her. “I do have theater tickets for Saturday night…”
“Mione, it took you months to get those.” Ron sounded surprised.
“Yes it did. They are very good tickets, very good seats.” Hermione was trying to attract Harry’s interest.
“What do you want for them?” Harry was suspicious.
“These are very good tickets Harry. The theater is a very classy place to take a date.” She knew she had him now.
“Hermione…” Harry whined.
“I’ll give them to you but…” She looked at Ron who was confused as ever. “We get a babysitter!”
“OOoooOO” Ron sat up on the couch. “Yeah! For a whole evening!”
“A whole night!” Hermione amended.
“A whole night? Mrs. Weasley…” Ron was speaking just to Hermione now and she raised her eyebrows in return. Harry thought he might be sick.
“Alright. Alright.” Harry agreed just to make them stop. “Bring the kids by on Friday.”
“Excellent.” Hermione leaned back on the couch and Ron wrapped his arm around her.
“Great, that's sorted, now what do I wear?”
“I don’t know Harry, a suit.” Hermione had thought the conversation was finished.
“I don’t own a suit.”
“Then buy a suit.” Ron shrugged. It was clear their willingness to help had ended after they secured childcare and a date night of their own.
“This was very insightful. Thank you.” Harry leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. They snapped open as little knees collided with his lap and a shriek broke through the air.
“Uncle Harry Look!” Freda held up a stuffed octopus.
“That’s very nice Freda.” Harry said in a pained high voice. She jumped down and Harry stood to leave, but as he did he tripped on his now untied shoelaces and fell to the floor.
“Get him kids!” Ron yelled and Freda once again jumped on Harry. The twins crawled over and grabbed his legs with their sharp pinching fingers.
“Alright if you don’t stop I’ll be forced to bring out the tickle monster.” Harry warned.
“No!” Freda giggled but didn’t stop jumping on his ribs.
“Alright that’s it!” Harry swept Freda off his lap and tickled her until she couldn’t breathe. She begged uncle and he stopped. Then he grabbed a twin under each arm and stood. He deposited them on either side of Ron and Hermione before leaving.
“We’ll be by at six on Friday!” Hermione called after him.
“Five!” Ron shouted over her.
Harry apparated home and was very pleased that his scars didn’t rip. In fact he thought they looked like falling off. Upstairs he went into the shower to test his theory. After thirty minutes of touch scrubbing the black ribbons were no longer tied around his body. He admired in the mirror that there wasn’t even the smallest scar from them. The only mark Harry had now was the rough healing mark from his fight with Lucius, and that was barely ten centimeters.
Harry pulled back on his running pants and walked around the room without any real direction in mind. He looked at the bookcase on either side of the desk. The left was filled with books crammed into every open space and the right was a jumbled collection of cauldrons, beakers, ingredients, and healing materials.
The desk also had a few books stacked on it. Harry remembered there were two stacks downstairs in the sitting room as well. Maybe he ought to build Draco another bookcase. But then again he had no idea if Draco would continue staying with him. Perhaps he would want to stay with his mother as they navigated this difficult time.
Already dressed for it, Harry decided to take a run. He loved the chilly weather and found himself setting a grueling pace in his excitement. No one had let him go running while he was under house arrest. A house arrest, he reminded himself, that was totally preventable if the ministry hadn’t been so absurdly corrupted by their own prejudices.
He gritted his teeth together. Tomorrow he would be expected to go into work and take his place inside the murky bureaucratic machine of justice without making a complaint. It was enough to make his blood boil.
He found himself back at the house over an hour later, out of breath and sore. He stripped off his shoes in the foyer and called to Kreacher for some water. In the sitting room he could hear someone faintly crying. It was Narcissa, she was on the couch next to Draco who was holding her hand.
“What’s wrong?” Harry asked.
“We’re talking about whether or not to keep the manor.” Draco answered him.
“Oh, Harry.” She sobbed. “I just don’t know what to do. At my age, starting over on my own? Where do I even begin?”
“Do you want to stay in the manor?” Harry leaned against the door frame.
“I’ve been cooped up in that big empty house my whole life… I don’t think I ever want to step foot there ever again.” Her voice was heavy.
“Then here’s what we’ll do: Draco and I will go and fetch your things, Kreacher can clear out the rest of my stuff from the bedroom, and we’ll get you set up here until we find you a new place.” Harry assured her.
“Oh I couldn’t, I’ve monopolized your generosity long enough.”
“Nonsense. Maybe we can look for places here in the city, with neighbors and cafes and shops.” Harry suggested.
“You could go out everyday and meet very interesting people.” Draco squeezed her hand. “And have visitors.”
“I would like that.” She decided, drying her tears.
“Then say nothing further, Harry and I will go right now to get your things.” Draco kissed his mothers face and stood. Harry joined him by the flugh and prepared to leave.
“There’s a teapot in the kitchen with pink roses, will you grab it?” She asked as Draco grabbed the powder. He nodded yes and they disappeared.
In the manor Harry winced once more as he stepped onto broken glass.
“Damn.” He said hopping onto the clean part of the floor. “I’ll see if Kreacher would be willing to clean this up, with his spells the whole house could be ready for market in 15 minutes.”
“Hey,” Draco grabbed his hand. “Thank you, for what you did back there. I don’t know why you’re so nice.”
“I’m just a nice guy.” Harry pulled Draco close and kissed him.
“Let’s get her things quickly. I’d like to be out of here too.” Draco said. He pointed Harry down the hall towards the bedrooms and headed to the kitchen to grab the teapot himself. Harry found his way easily but couldn’t remember which door Draco had said was his mothers. He opened a random one, it was a water closet, he closed the door. He opened another, but this time he went inside.
The room was white and clean with a bed on the far wall between two windows. It had slytherin house sheets and an overstuffed green comforter. Against one wall was a desk and the other a large armoire. Harry chose to investigate the desk. On it sat a quill, an ink well, and thick cat's eye marble. Harry touched the back of the small chair and tried to picture little Draco sitting there, doing homework.
“I thought we were hurrying.” Draco scolded from the hall as he watched Harry.
“This is your room.”
“You’re very observant.” Draco stepped into the room cautiously, as if the space could bite him.
“You’re messier at my house.”
“I didn’t exactly live freely here.”
“I threw this at you.” Harry picked up the marble. “You were being an ass and I remember chucking this down the stairs at your head.”
“Yes.”
“You kept it.” Harry smiled.
“Well…I had a crush on you…” Draco looked uncomfortable.
“You had a crush on me.” Harry teased in a sing-song voice.
“Shut up.” Draco rolled his eyes.
“That’s so embarrassing.” Harry didn’t let up.
“Oh yeah? Like you didn’t have one on me?” Draco pushed Harry and he fell onto the bed.
“Hey!” Harry protested but Draco was next to him, wrapping him up in a kiss. Harry couldn’t breathe and suddenly he could feel his heart beating in his throat.
“I always dreamed of doing that here.” Draco said smugly.
“We’re supposed to be hurrying.” Harry mocked him.
“Oh we’ve got a little time.” Draco leaned in and caught Harry’s lips again.