What's in a memory?

Chapter Ten 

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In the study, Hermione and Draco were pouring over articles and medical journals for cases just like Harry's.

They placed all the documents into piles. Any memory loss after a misthrown hex into one column.

Potential healing options in another. Peer-reviewed remedies and therapies in a third.

It wasn't long before the office was a mess with all the stacks of parchment.

Ron tried his best to be supportive, from the couch, providing a sounding board to them as he scanned the auror database for potential leads.

He'd tried for a while to identify the hex but that was more Hermione's department than his own.

Meanwhile, Draco's eyes felt itchy and sore, But he had to keep going.

He had to keep searching.

Hermione was busily distracted in her own 'booktopia' to take note of Draco's harsh breath.

But Ron, as vigulant as ever after years on the force, saw the toll it was taking on his friend.

“Maybe we should take a break.” He called from the couch.

“No” Draco discarded another document.

“Dude, you're gonna burn out. Take a break.” Ron insisted.

“No.” Draco grunted as he disregarded a book.

“No to me or no to the-?” Ron waved but Draco's head was in another journal.

“No Ron!” Between the harsh breath and the command, Ron grew more alarmed. 

“Don't bite my head off just because-”

“No” Draco shoved the offensive items away. “No, no, no!”

“Ron's right we should take a break. It'll all be here when we come back” Hermione bookmarked her page.

Draco grunted in reply. Moving onto another source.

“Draco stop!” Ron stood up.

“I can't! I've got to do this. I can do this.”

“We're not saying (you can't)-” 

“No.”

This reminded Ron too much of his time with Hermione after the war. The crazed desperation, the frantic note taking, always trying to find the solution.

He shared a look with his wife.

With a nod, they both took hold of one of Draco's arms and lifted him up. Jerkily dragging him away from the desk.

Draco yelled in displeasure and began flalling about; trying (and failing) to free himself from their hands.

Draco shouted “Put me -” 

There was a knock.

They all froze in movment. 

“Hello?” It was Harry. He poked his head around the door. 

He stood there puzzled by the tangle of limbs and the airborne blond.

What the fuck did I just walk in on?

"Umm." Harry cleared his throat, desperately trying to remember why he entered this strange scene. 

"Did you need something?"

“Yeah, um, I was just gonna go make dinner and I was just gonna see if-” 

“Great idea.” Hermione chirped, half dragging Malfoy out the door.

“I kinda fancied takeaway” Ron pouted, still hoisting Draco up.  

“Wait, are these?” Something caught Harry's eye: Ron's report. “Is this the-”

“The DMLE database, yeah” Ron scratched his neck with his free hand.

Harry got an excited gleam in his eyes. It stunned Draco. Draco froze midair. Harry looked... he looked so much like Harry. His Harry.

“Oh my God, look at this” Harry was eagerly flipping through the files. “wow, there must be-”

He enthusiastically looked up.

Harry grinned sheepishly,"sorry" realising that he "geeked out" a little.

“It's okay Harry, I'll teach you how it works.” Ron beamed, glad to see a glimpse, however short, of the older Harry.

“That'd be.... that'd be brilliant. Thanks.”

As Draco had stopped riggling, Hermione and Ron placed him back on the ground. 

"Yeah, gotta get you back up to speed. so you can come back." This was clearly the wrong thing to say as he got a stern look from Hermione, and Draco looked appalled, Like Ron had just said he was testing fireworks with crups or something. 

He just meant that Harry'd have to learn it all again, if he had a hope in hell of returning to auror work.

Harry was briefly wondering whether work would even take him back, sure he was a senior auror but he couldn't be that much of an asset if he kept getting hit on duty, could he?

Crap, I don't want Harry going back to work. I can't even think about that right now. Why the hell would Ron bring that up right now?! 

Hermione startled everyone out of their thoughts:

“Right, well I don't feel like cooking. How about a homecoming takeaway?” Hermione suggested still trying to remove Draco from the room.

Harry let them past. 

“Ohh,I know how about that one place with the great Kung pao chicken?” Hermione offered.

“Or that italian place with the dough balls?” Ron countered.

“What about Korean?” Draco perked up.

Harry felt so out of the loop, like they were talking in a foreign language. Maybe goobledegook. Hermione was looking into taking a course, so she could properly fight for Goblin rights after all. 

Maybe she had taught Ron as well. 

“Oh, the Swedish restaurant that has those delicious meatballs...” Ron licked his lips as his mouth watered.

“Or the sushi bar?”

“Ew, Draco that's so disgusting.”

“Just because you have no taste.”

“Me? Have you seen your husband's hair?”

They tussled a little. “Take it back. Take that back right now”

“Draco, I love him too, but Harry's hair is attrocious” Hermione laughed.

Harry couldn't believe what was happening. When did Draco banter? For that matter when did Hermione?

Maybe he was still dreaming.

“What do you think Harry?” Hermione turned to him in the hall.

“Yea whaja fancy? What about those chips from the kings' head you like... Or the tripple-decker ultra burger, that we had last month!” Positively beaming, Ron was definitely in his element. 

Harry was lost, they started listing places and foods that Harry had never heard of before. With their little recommendations and quotes...

“You said that place opposite that theatre was good.”

“Harry you ate at that markee for a week!”

Draco saw Harry struggling and called it to a halt. “Sorry deerheart, we didn't mean to overwhelm you.”

Harry didn't know what hitched his breath, that Malfoy apologised or the term he used.

“umm...” Harry was clueless. Draco knew that look. 

“Classic? Greasy? or fancy?” Draco simplified.

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They ended up eating pizza. With about every side under the sun: there was chicken, chips, onion rings, quarter pounder burgers, and Draco insisted on a vegetable salad which Ron didn't touch.

Afterwards, they retired upstairs to the lounge, where they put on The Empire strikes back. One of Harry's comfort movies. Ron had originally insisted on watching a new release, that was Harry's “current” favourite. But that seemed like too much.

Hermione disappeared to floo the burrow, which Harry thought was her way of avoiding the 'boy' movie.

In actuality, she just wanted to wish Hugo and Rosy a goodnight.

Draco was surprisingly efficient with the muggle technology, and unlike Ron, he didn't complain the whole time about how crap 'the force' was:

“Wait, so is it like accio because it summons or is it more like-”

“Shh!”

“But it doesn't make sense.”

“Ron, ” Draco scoffed, “Don't ruin Harry's movie.”

Harry turned to see Draco lounging, equally as enthralled as Harry was with the tele.

Draco watched enraptured, (despite how many times he'd actually seen it). It made him feel a deep fondness for the movie-nights he and Harry shared.

Whenever Harry was injured, he would pop in one of his beloved star-battle series, and curl up with him until Harry felt better or fell asleep.

Harry chose to sit on the other sofa, unwilling to sit next to Draco. He tried not to take it personally.

He's adjusting, He told himself.

Malfoy briefly wondered whether this was another one of the Dursley's teachings. He thought Harry had overcome the internalised homophobia by this age, but perhaps he was wrong.

He could hardly capture his attention longer than a second, before Harry's eyes darted away.

He's adjusting. He needs to be comfortable. It's his first night. Ron's his best friend.

Meanwhile Harry's choice to sit next to Ron was less complicated than that. He hadn't really considered it an option to sit next to Draco. He just plopped down on the nearest surface and nudged Ron with his knee to budge up.

Idiots, Ronald thought but kept it to himself.

Half way through the movie Hermione returned with soot on her shoulders. She whispered something to Ron, but Harry was too distracted to pay attention.

Whatever she said, made Ron stand up and leave the room. Hermione took his place, next to Harry instead.

Hermione was much less annoying to watch movies with than Ron; though she did occassionally hypothesise the impossible aloud to herself, and shake her head at the physical improbabilities.

She once drew up the plans to the 'How to travel the world in 80 days' and proceeded to lecture Harry about it, for an hour, afterwards.

Harry didn't remember it of course, but Draco once joined her in sketching out plans during their movies and got in an argument about the 1985's classic “Back to the future” with Ron about the title. Before proceeding to draw up the entire timeline continuum with Hermione.

Secretly, Draco preferred the idea of a time-travelling car over time-turners. He felt that if he had one he'd go back and change so much about his time at Hogwarts. Maybe find his past self and give him a stern talking to.

He told Harry one night, expecting a reprimand.

But Harry just whispered back, he'd like to change some things to.

Draco assumed he meant his parents demise and sure, Harry dreamt so often of what his life would become. But in this frivolous dream it wasn't about voldermort and the lives he'd save. Harry let himself have this one, superficial thought. “I'd have liked to change some things too” before Harry leaned in and kissed him senseless.

This movie-night was realitively tame in comparison, all of them grouping in the lounge -not arguing just silently watching the same screen- Different but nice all the same.

Harry relaxed into his sofa, well fed and rested. He sleepily had one thought:

This future isn't so bad.

Before drifting off surrounded by friends and his favourite film.

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