„…ry? Harry? Hey, are you listening?"
Harry startled when Hermione's voice brought him back to reality. He reluctantly removed his gaze from the Slytherin table.
"I am sorry Mione. I just thought about something."
With a deep sigh she took a sip from her pumpkin juice.
"Yeah. Obviously."
"What’sh up wish wuo?", Ron asked, his mouth full of mashed potatoes. Hermione looked at him with disgust.
"Ron, do you have to speak with your mouth full?"
"Showwy!" The redhead swallowed his food and then continued "This isn't about Malfoy again, is it?"
Harry eyed them both briefly, then shrugged. "Possibly. Would that be so bad?"
Ron shook his head. "I thought your obsession was finally over, mate."
"I'm not obsessed with Malfoy," Harry replied, visibly annoyed. "I just want to talk to him."
More than a year had passed since the war. During this time, Harry had a lot to reflect and process. The loss of so many people, the near-death experiences and, last but not least, his childhood with the Dursleys.
In order to come to terms with Snape's death, he had repeatedly visited the Shrieking Shack, which the former potions teacher now haunted as a ghost. Talking to him actually helped Harry draw a line there.
He now wanted to do exactly the same with Draco Malfoy. The years of enmity between them needed to come to an end.
And since he, like Malfoy, was repeating his school year, this was also the perfect opportunity to talk to him.
"Talk to him? But he's a Death-"
Harry interrupted Ron immediately.
"He was a Death Eater, and not even by choice. I think both Malfoy and I would feel better after that. Remember Snape. It was very helpful to talk about our problems."
"I think Harry is right," Hermione now commented as well. "I think it's good that you're trying to end the enmity."
Ron snorted, but then shrugged.
"Okay buddy. If you think it's the right thing to do, you should do it."
"Thanks guys. Your support really means a lot to me."
Harry got lost in his thoughts again.
To be honest, he still didn't know how to achieve his goal. Talking with Snape was one thing, but with Malfoy?
No one was hanging around the Shrieking Shack, but at Hogwarts it would be difficult to meet him alone.
And he was sure that his nemesis would hate it as much as Harry to have this kind of conversation in public.
And if he asked him in front of other students if they could talk privately, there would certainly be a lot of rumors afterwards.
Because after the war, even more people were watching him now.
So if he were to address Malfoy in the middle of the hallway, for example, there would probably be more than enough people try to eavesdrop their conversation. And that was exactly what he wanted to avoid.
But what could he do instead?
He looked at Malfoy for a while. How had he approached him back in sixth year?
Wait a minute! The Marauder's Map!
Harry's expression brightened as this thought occurred to him. That would make things much easier.
Satisfied, he now began to eat as well and mentally prepared himself for the upcoming conversation.
A few days later, he got the first opportunity to put his plan into action.
Harry had studied the map extensively and discovered that there were several places on the Hogwarts grounds that the Ice Prince of Slytherin visited alone. Mostly at the same time every day.
Nervous, but in a visibly good mood, Harry left the castle after breakfast on Saturday morning. He went to the large lake where Malfoy was supposed to be, according to his observations.
It was a beautiful day. The still dewy grass shimmered in the sunlight as he walked the meadow toward the lake. The surface of the lake looked bright blue, almost like the sea in Muggle travel magazines.
Harry wondered if he should bring his bathing suit next time to swim a few laps. The water seemed warm enough and
His therapist advised him to do some physical activity to clear his head.
"Swimming or jogging might be just the thing for you," he recalled Dr. Blackstone's words.
Probably he was right. but Harry was too busy to follow that advice.
The seventh grade was very tiring even for Hermione, who normally had no problems with classes or studying.
She was already panicking about the final exams in a few months.
He, on the other hand, was sure that she would get an Outstandig in almost all school subjects. She remained simply the smartest witch he knew.
Harry finally reached the lake.
A familiar, slender silhouette stood on the shore and looked into the water. The light flattered the blond hair and made Malfoy look like an angel for a brief moment. Peaceful, almost innocent.
Immediately Harry let go of the thought.
Malfoy and innocent? Never!
Taking a deep breath, he stopped a few meters away and tried to remember what he wanted to tell him. But with every second that passed, he lost more and more courage.
Potter, pull yourself together, he said to himself and clenched one hand into a fist.
It's now or never!
Harry was about to start talking when suddenly a group of young witches came up to him, screeching his name.
"Harry Potter! Ahhhh!"
"I'm such a big fan! Can I have your autograph?!"
One of the witches even grabbed his arm.
"I heard you broke up with that little Weasley girl, let's go on a date together!"
Wait a minute, how did she know about Ginny?
But before he could say anything in response, Malfoy turned abruptly to face them, eyeing the group with disgust.
"Now I feel sick, thank you Potter. You better put a leash on your dogs, some of them definitely drool too much."
With a nasty grin, he walked away.
Harry gently pushed the girl away.
"Sorry, I'm busy. Maybe next time."
"But..." the witches tried again, but he gave them a fake smile.
"I have to write an essay for potions class. See you."
Hopefully not!
Hastily, he ran back to the castle to catch up with Malfoy, but he was already nowhere to be found.
Damn! Why did these girls have to appear so suddenly out of nowhere and ruin his plan?
Once again he was not asked if he wanted to be touched by others.
He hated so much that no one asked for consent. But he wasn't surprised anymore.
Most people didn't give a shit if he was okay with it or how he felt - They only cared about themselves and their desires.
Angrily, Harry hit a wall and rubbed his aching hand a few seconds later before looking for Ron and Hermione. If he was already running from fans because of an 'essay' it wouldn't hurt to change this lie into a truth.
However. Harry wasn't able to calm down. The missed opportunity and those fangirls were just bugging him too much. So he only stared on his parchment role and reflected about what had happened. He looked that awful, that Hermione stopped writing and looked up from her essay.
"Okay, what's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing. I just don't feel like doing homework, that's all."
"Harry..."
"Okay, okay! I was going to talk to Malfoy and suddenly a bunch of fangirls show up and ruined it."
In a bad mood, he loudly closed the book in his hands. Madame Pince gave him a warning look.
"And that's why you're so angry now?" asked Hermione, raising an eyebrow. "It's not the end of the world, you know."
"Not the end of the world, but he certainly don't wanna to talk to me after this."
Ron rolled his eyes.
"Since when do you give up so easily? Remember sixth year at school. Neither Hermione, nor I, nor anyone else was able to stop you. Not even Malfoy himself."
"True. But..."
"Stop it! You're a Gryffindor aren't you? You killed V... Vol..."
"Voldemort," Harry added.
"Right, you killed Voldemort, so talking to that ferret shouldn't be that hard," Ron finished, grinning at him confidently.
"Mhhh, maybe you're right. But what should I do now?" wondered Harry quietly. Strategy number one had clearly failed, after all.
"You could write him a letter," Hermione immediately suggested. "At least he could read it privately."
"Not a bad idea," he returned. "But actually, I wanted to talk to him face to face first."
Harry looked around carefully, then took the map out of his pocket. The dot, labeled with Malfoy's name, was motionless in the Slytherin common room. Hmmm. Now that Harry thought about it, he wasn't surprised that the fangirls had found him. Saturday mornings were pretty common for students to visit the lake.
Damn. So it would be better to choose another place for it.
So he said, "I think I'll let it go for today and try again later. But next time I'll look for him at the evening."
In fact, Harry refrained from spying on Malfoy for the next three days and concentrated exclusively on his homework, preparing for the upcoming exams like Hermione. Meanwhile, he wasn't quite sure what he should do for a living after Hogwarts.
Auror just didn't feel right anymore.
Not after seeing so much suffering. Chasing Death Eaters and other criminals would only bring up the unpleasant and horrible experiences of wartime.
Harry wasn't ready for that. He preferred to work through everything in therapy, little by little, at his own pace.
So Hermione had advised him to consult Professor McGonagall about his future. He liked the idea, so he approached her yesterday after transfiguration class and asked for an appointment.
"Alright, Mr. Potter. I'll let you know when I have time for you" was her response.
He knew she had a lot to do, so he didn't expect the appointment until next week.
Spreading the Marauder‘s Map on the table, the wizard searched for the tiny dot labeled Draco Malfoy.
It took a few minutes before he finally found it. "Strange... Where's he going?" muttered Harry, watching the dot move toward the astronomy tower.
Perfect! There seemed to be few other people around, and if he was careful, the fangirls wouldn't catch him this time.
Honestly, one of those witches had tried to strike up a conversation a few more times. She ignored his "no'" multiple times and only thanks to Ron she'd finally left him alone.
For now, at least.
Maybe she took her chance when he didn't expect it and didn't have an escort.
A cold shiver ran down his spine. Something about it felt... strange and dangerous.
Harry shook his head. Unpleasant as it was, he didn't have time for this at the moment.
He needed to talk to Malfoy.
And so he left the Gryffindor common room, but not without taking the Invisibility Cloak and the map with him, heading for the Astronomy Tower. Who knew how long they would talk?
Halfway there, however, he suddenly heard a voice behind him.
"Mr. Potter! I've been looking for you."
"Professor McGonagall. What...what is it?", Harry wanted to know impatiently.
Not another interruption!
"I'd have time to talk to you right now. Come with me."
Cursing inwardly, he followed her to the principal's office.
This can't be happening!
"Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans!"
The stone gargoyles began to spin as Professor McGonagall said the password.
"It's still candy? ", Harry asked, irritated.
"A little reminder of the good old days," she returned with a smile.
The two stepped into the office and the principal, making another chair magically appear, immediately offered him a seat in front of the large, heavy desk.
Harry sat down.
"So Mr. Potter. What exactly would you like to discuss with me about your professional future?"
"Here's the thing...I don't want to be an Auror anymore."
For the next thirty minutes, he began to talk about his problems. That he was often haunted by nightmares and regularly went to therapy sessions. That a job like Auror just wasn't right anymore.
She rarely interrupted him to ask a simple question and otherwise listened patiently.
When Harry stopped talking, she nodded briefly.
"I understand. It's hard, of course. I'm sorry you're going through something like this right now. Well... the question is...what exactly do you plan to do after Hogwarts?"
"I don't know yet," he said honestly. "I would love to just stay at Hogwarts... That's not possible, of course, but-"
"Not possible? Of course it's possible, Mr. Potter. You could become a teacher, for example."
"A teacher?"
"Yes. Do you remember fifth grade? You successfully taught attack and defense spells to a large group of students. I think you would be a good fit for this profession."
Him as a teacher?
Harry thought about that possibility for a while. It sounded far too good to be true. Staying at Hogwarts, teaching kids things... Making himself useful.
"What exactly do I have to do for that?" he finally asked, smiling.
"Well, you need appropriate grades first, but that shouldn't be a problem. You want to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, right? "
"Exactly."
Professor McGonagall nodded and then pulled a parchment from one of the many piles to write a few lines on it.
"This is everything else you'll need. Starting next year, teachers will be trained by Magic Ministry.... This is the best thing after the last catastrophic years. Most of the training will take place here, though for some exams you will have to go to the Ministry."
She handed him the parchment. "I look forward to welcoming you here as a faculty member in the future."
"Thank you, Professor," he replied with a smile. "I'll take care of it."
After he said goodbye, it felt like a weight fell off of his shoulders.
Teacher. Why he hadn't thought of that himself...
Draco Malfoy however had returned to the dungeons, when Harry checked the map again. That doesn’t surprised him. So he also went back to his common room. The only option left was to try again in the next few days.
Sadly it took Harry over a week to find the right opportunity again.
This Saturday, most of them headed off to Hogsmeade and actually he planned to go as well.
But Malfoy seemed to want to stay at Hogwarts.
If the castle was almost empty, it should be possible to meet him somehow. So the Gryffindor decided to stay as well. After all, it was not the last time he could visit Hogsmeade.
He did, however, accompany Ron and Hermione across the meadow for a bit.
"Take care!" said Hermione, already walking towards the big gate. "We'll get you some candy at the honey pot."
"And good luck with that ferret," Ron added, hastily following his girlfriend.
"I'll tell you all about it later. Have fun."
Hand in hand, the two disappeared through the gate.
Harry made his way back, deciding once he was back in the castle to use the Marauder’s Map again. Malfoy could be anywhere right now, after all.
But when he had walked a little way across the meadow, an ice-cold shiver suddenly ran down his spine. He looked around uneasily. What was that?
Why did it feel like someone was staring at him from a distance?
Hastily, Harry pulled the map out of his pocket, but he couldn't make out anyone else near his own spot. How strange.
He shook his head and took a deep breath. Probably these were just the late effects of the war that Dr. Blackstone had talked about in the last therapy session.
"You've had such horrible experiences that sometimes your mind will do things you won't understand right away," his therapist's words came to mind.
That definitely sounded like an explanation for this uncomfortable feeling.
So Harry ignored it and looked for Malfoy instead.
It wasn't long before he spotted his name in the library. Perfect!
It took a few minutes to get there, of course, but Malfoy certainly had no reason to leave right away, did he?
Confidently, he reached the library after a while and went inside.
The room was as good as empty. Only a few people were sitting scattered at the individual tables, devoting themselves to their homework or studying. A pleasant silence enveloped this place and unfolded a relaxing atmosphere.
Harry wandered among the shelves, silent.
Finally, after some time, he found what he was looking for.
Draco Malfoy, bent over a large thick book, had settled down at one of the back tables and was reading.
Blond hair fell into his face, his slender hand removing an interfering strand from his forehead.
"Potter. How long are you going to keep watching me? What do you want, anyway?" said Malfoy suddenly, his eyes continuing to focus on the book.
Huh? Had Malfoy noticed him already?
He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Parkinson and Zabini appeared from behind one of the shelves.
"Draco, there you are!"
"Have you changed your mind about Hogsmeade? Are you coming?" asked Zabini, but then stared at Harry.
"Potter?"
Damn!
No word left his mouth, so he turned on his heel to leave the library.
"What on Salazar was that about?" he heard Parkinson say before he got too far away from them.
Cursing inwardly, Harry lay on his bed a little later, staring at the ceiling.
They should have been in Hogsmeade! Not in the library!
He hadn't planned it that way!
Normally it shouldn't be a problem to talk to Malfoy even in front of Zabini and Parkinson, but this conversation needed to be private.
Knowing both of them, they were certainly curious enough to want to listen what Harry has to say.
Ahhhrgh!
Why did something always have to come up? How much bad luck could one person have?
Frustrated, Harry straightened up and thought about his remaining options. Maybe he should write a letter after all, to cut a long story short.
"Told you so!" he heard Hermione grumble in his head.
With a deep sigh, Harry stood up, dug parchment and ink out of his school bag, and began to write.
Time passed, as the rough surface was gradually filled with sentences.
It took much longer than expected. At the end, he had also gone into great detail so that the letter had a certain length. But there was also a lot to tell.
Exhausted, Harry carefully folded the parchment and put it in an envelope before labeling it "To Draco Malfoy," but leaving no return address.
Tomorrow before breakfast, he would send an owl with it. That should be enough, right?
Harry told Ron and Hermione about it as well, as soon as they returned from Hogsmeade. As suspected, she liked the idea very much. "See, I told you so!"
"Yes, I know," he replied, grinning slightly.
"And when that's done, we'll finally have peace about that pesky Malfoy stuff," Ron added, very pleased.
Hermione, on the other hand, smiled mysteriously.
"Could it be that the two of them are becoming friends?"
"What, Harry and the ferret aren't after all!"
"What if they are? "Shaking his head, Harry smiled slightly.
"It's almost time for dinner. Let's go," he said without getting into the subject any further. Becoming friends with Malfoy?
Why not?
The next day he sent the letter as planned and then went to breakfast. Slowly his body was filled with nervousness.
How would Malfoy react? He probably wouldn't read the letter directly in the Great Hall, but what if he did?
Harry's heart pounded hard against his chest as he sat down and watched the Slytherin table.
No sign of him.
Ron and Hermione arrived shortly after as well and the other tables gradually filled up.
"Good morning mate!"
"Hey..." His body didn't want to eat yet, but at least he spread some toast with butter.
"Are you all right? You look nervous," Hermione asked worriedly. "Is it because of the letter?"
"Yes, but don't worry about it," he replied, biting into the toast.
Eyes now fixed on the entrance, he waited for his nemesis. And it wasn't long before he came strutting through the door.
He watched as Malfoy sat down and immediately made himself something to eat.
And as if sensing his gaze, he raised his head and grinned maliciously in Harry's direction.
They exchanged an intense, intimate look for a brief moment. For a second, only Harry and Malfoy seemed to exist. But then a rustle of feathers broke their eye contact.
A flurry of owls fluttered into the Great Hall, dropping letters and packages.
At least five new letters landed on Malfoy's lap.
Suddenly Harry noticed that he not only looked annoyed, but also pale.
Without even looking at one of the envelopes more closely, the ice prince tore all of them apart. What? Why was he doing that?
"Oh dear... I guess a letter wasn't a good idea after all," whispered Hermione, who must have seen the whole thing as well. "Seems like he's still being harassed by some people."
"Harassed?" asked Harry quietly.
"Yes. His father is still in Azkaban and because he was once a Death Eater."
"Oh..."
That made sense. Shit.
But what was he supposed to do about the conversation now? Because he was running out of ideas.
And it didn't get any better over the next few days. Whenever Harry tried something in that direction, it failed. Malfoy seemed to avoid the public even more than before. Understandable, but that didn't make his plan any easier.
And it was also extremely frustrating.
And then, about two weeks after the letter thing, he couldn't take it anymore. Enough was enough!
He followed Malfoy and his friends, and when the perfect opportunity appeared, he pulled him into a hidden passageway.
"Potter, what-",Malfoy began to complain, but Harry motioned for him to be quiet.
"Follow me," he muttered, walking over to a broom closet and opening it.
"What are you doing?" wanted Malfoy to know, eyeing the chamber skeptically.
"I want to talk to you."
The Slytherin still didn't move, so Harry again pulled him inside and closed the door with a spell.
"You're serious, Potter?!?"
"You got a problem with that? I've never caught you alone, so..."
They finally faced each other only a few inches away from each other. They were silent for a while and Malfoy slowly turned his head away, visibly uncomfortable.
"So... what do you want?"
"Honestly... I wanted to apologize. For everything. And just talk to you about past things."
"And what if I don't want to?"
Even though the other tried to hide it, a small smile crept onto his lips.
"I'm sure you would have just walked away if you didn't want to, right?" interjected Harry, then.
"If you say so..."
Another few minutes passed, then they just started talking.
About the war.
Their enmity.
Failed relationships. Therapy sessions.
Malfoy's problems with his father.
Harry's childhood memories with the Dursleys.
And that they didn't hate each other anymore.
When the conversation ended after what felt like an eternity, Malfoy turned his head toward him.
"Draco."
"What?"
"My name is Draco. When we're... alone, you can call me that."
Somewhat stunned, Harry stared at him.
"H...Harry. You can call me Harry...But why...all of a sudden?"
"I was talking to Severus and I knew you would come to me eventually. He told me that you had a final conversation. It was only natural then."
A slight smirk settled on Draco's lips.
"Didn't you notice that I was waiting for you?"
"Not really... But that's... good to know."
Harry eyed Draco for a while and finally became a little embarrassed. They were still standing so close together. That was quite unusual.
The blond stretched and looked at the door.
"I'll be going in a secound. But Harry..."
He suddenly leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "I wouldn't mind another talk in a broom closet."
Draco grinned at the frozen expression on his counterpart's face and dissolved the spell. "See you around."
He disappeared from the chamber, leaving a shocked Harry behind, his cheeks now bright red. What the...what was that?
The former Chosen One stood still for a while until he finally shook his head and smirked slightly.
Well well...
To be honest, he could hardly wait for the next time.