Twas the week before the Holidays
While Harry ran off after Florian, Draco was left with Blaise. “He seems to be very… infatuated with Florian.” Observed the Italian.
Draco scoffed, “Nice try, Blaise, but it’s not going to work.” He nursed a glass of wine (two down and one in his hand).
“It was just an observation, Draco, you immediately jumped to that conclusion.” He shrugged, “Seems like that says more about you than me.”
Glancing around and seeing nobody else around, Draco threw the wine over Blaise’s suite. Drops cascaded down Blaise’s shirt and Draco feigned shock. “Oh Blaise, I’m so sorry!” People around them looked over and silence fell over the party with only the soft music in the background. “Here, I can clean it quickly.” Casting a silent scourgify, Blaise’s suit was cleared quickly but it did nothing to wash away the embarrassment.
Quickly, Blaise stormed off to the bathroom and Draco waved goodbye to him. It felt good. He and Blaise were friends, definitely, in fact he would say Blaise was the second closest person he had at this school, but it didn’t mean they couldn’t get on each other's nerves.
Slughorn perhaps had a little too many as he laughed at what happened and made his way over to Draco. “No harm done, Mister Malfoy, no harm done.” He went to pat Draco’s arm so he took a step back, “It’s Christmas, after all!” It wasn’t. It was late November, but Draco didn’t say anything. However, he did scowl at Slughorn’s alcoholic breath. “You know, I did know your grandfather…”
From this angle, Draco could stare outside. And just in his vision, almost so far it was blurry, was Florian and Snape talking with sneers and slit eyes. Florian did, after all, look a little ill. No, this wasn’t the first time he noticed it, but seeing him converse with Professor Snape - one of the palest men Draco had ever met - and it was obvious. “If you would excuse me, Professor.”
But before Draco could even step out into the open corridor, Snape and Florian were both gone. And Draco caught Harry from around a corner, invisibility cloak being folded, shrunk, and put into his breast pocket. “Fancy meeting you here.” Draco folded his arms, looking at Harry with an expression of ‘what the hell are you doing?’
“Draco!” Harry yelped, jumping where he stood, “Did you hear any of that?”
“I was hoping to, but perhaps you could catch me up, Spy Extraordinaire.”
Harry ignored the nickname, standing and beginning to pace while he spoke, “Snape made an Unbreakable Vow to Malfoy- to your Mom about protecting him. And Malfoy can use Occlumency-” Draco didn’t want to interrupt because Harry was on a roll so banked that question for later -“so he’s obviously hiding something there because why would you learn it unless there was something you wanted to hide? Here’s the best bit: Malfoy’s got a task from Voldemort and Crabbe and Goyle are helping him.”
“Right.” Draco’s brows furrowed (Harry wanted to kiss between them), “What is this task then?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know.”
“Yet! I don’t know yet, but I will.”
“Have you gone to Dumbledore about what you knew previously, like you promised?” Questioned Draco.
There was a pause, one just short enough for Draco not to question it. “Of course I have.” Harry replied, turning around and not looking at him - Draco thought it was because of the adrenaline.
They retired early, Harry walking Draco to his common room because ‘I don’t want the night to end yet’. Draco gave Harry a short kiss and entered his common room, whispering the password so he didn’t hear. Inside, there was Florian. Sitting by the roaring fire and a glass of half-drunk wine in his right hand. (Another difference: Draco being left handed and Florin being right.) “Blaise is looking for you.”
“Oh no.” He said in a dead tone, “Whatever shall I do?”
“Why are you here? I thought you and Potter would be gallivanting your way to an empty classroom by now.”
“It gets a little boring after so many times.” Shrugged Draco, sitting on the sofa by the armchair. “What about you?”
“Hm?”
“Why are you not at the party? Blaise did invite you.”
Florian scoffed, “He was making eyes at Longbottom the whole time. I thought He had better taste than that. I am not on the same level as Neville Longbottom.” He eyed Draco, “Though I can see it with you.”
“We are identical, you prick.” Draco sighed. Maybe honesty was the best way to go? If Draco says he left behind Florian to see what Snape wanted and overheard their conversation, it would play out alright. “I heard some of your conversation with Professor Snape… I just wanted to check how you were.”
“How very Hufflepuff of you.” He took a sip of the wine so Draco snatched it off him and took a sip himself.
“What is an Unbreakable Vow?”
“And how do you expect me to believe you won’t go to Potter with all this information?”
“I… I’ll make an Unbreakable Vow.” He set his jaw and straightened his already straight posture.
“You don’t know what it means, Draco.”
“I assume it means I make a promise and I can’t break it, if I do something bad will happen.”
At that, Florian tilted his head and hummed, letting the silence linger. So did Draco. “You’re willing to make an Unbreakable Vow? For me?” Draco nodded his head. “The Dark Lord has a task for me. One I need to complete.”
“Do you want to?”
“Of course I don’t bloody want to!” Snapped Florian.
They talked for a while. Explaining the situation, Florian telling him about an Unbreakable Vow, him saying he shouldn’t tell Draco his tasks, and about the threat Voldemort holds over his family. Because of that, Draco was willing to help. Not help Florian with the tasks, not at all, but trying to help find a way for him and Narcissa and Lucius to escape.
The next day, Harry filled him in on what Hermione and Ronald thought. Ronald was fully supportive, wanting to help Harry in his quest to discover what Florian was up to, where Hermione was more realistic. She said that Harry had hated Florian since day one, so when he’s wandering around at night it is obvious Harry would think Florian was up to no good. Keeping quiet, Draco pulled a tired Harry into a hug and melted into it himself, a stone of guilt settling in his stomach. A pebble.
“The Holidays are almost here…” Draco said, drawing a smile from Harry, “You get to spend it with Sirius and Remus, and Ron and Hermione.”
“And you.” Harry sounded offended Draco didn’t mention himself.
He smiled, “Yes, and me.” A face of confusion settled on the blonde, “What are we telling your godparents?”
“Well,” Harry rubbed the bridge of his nose, “it was in the Prophet this morning. Me and you at the party.”
“Firstly, it’s you and I, idiot.” Harry scowled and Draco laughed, “Secondly, I hope they’re OK with it.”
“Remus sent me a letter.” Harry explained, “He said he was happy for me and that he likes you a lot. Sirius was a little…”
“Sirius?”
“Yeah.” Harry chuckled, messing with Draco’s fingers, “It’s your last name, really. He likes you, he just doesn’t like the name Malfoy.”
In a few days, the train will arrive for Christmas. Florian would return to the Manor, and Draco would go back to Grimmauld Place with Harry. While Draco was overjoyed, he… Well, he missed his old life. Lewis, more than anything. He probably moved on, it had been a few months, but what if he hadn’t? What if Lewis was still searching for Draco only for him to never return? Pushing those thoughts to the side, Draco stayed in the moment with Harry, reading a book on The Dark Lord. It was best to know the enemy. Maybe Draco could understand how he thought.