Coming Home

Harry stays at Hogwarts for months after the attacks, helping with clean up and reconstruction.

Helping with funerals and contacting families.

What was once his home becomes his biggest distraction. Cleaning the wreckage of the castle clears his mind, shaking away the terror of the months before.

Today, he stands in a small hallway with Professor McGonagall, sweeping bricks and rubble into piles before disapparating them. He pulls out his wand to clear a pile, but a strange feeling floods over Harry as he looks down at the thin piece of wood in his hand.

It’s still Draco’s wand.
He’d never gotten the chance to give it back after—everything.

“Harry?” McGonagall asks quietly. “Are you alright?”
Harry looks up at her, shaking himself out of the daze.
“Is it alright if I go?” He asks, looking around the mostly clean hallway. “I think I have to do something.”

McGonagall smiles at him, her eyes flitting down to the wand in his hand before she nods softly.
“Of course, you aren’t required to be here you know.” She says with a wink.

Harry chuckles softly, stepping forward to hug her gently.
“I know.” He replies. “But I want to be. I’ll be back soon.”

He lets go of the older woman, turning and walking towards the front doors. He lets his eyes spill over the rubble on the bridge, remembering his last moments with Ron and Hermione before they went back to The Burrow to be with Ron’s family.

Harry had considered going, but decided he couldn’t be there.
Not yet.

He continues walking, only knowing that Malfoy Manor is his first destination. He’d heard talk that the Malfoy’s had moved, hiding in shame, but unfortunately no one had said where they’d gone to.

Finally, Harry steps onto the front porch of the home, knocking on the door quickly. He waits for a moment, and then the heavy, wooden door creeks open.

Kreature peeks his head out of the door, looking at Harry with his wide, yellow eyes.
“The Malfoy’s aren’t here.” He says gruffly. “Harry Potter should go.”

Harry shakes his head, wedging his foot into the opening of the door as Kreature tries to close it.
“Where are they?” Harry asks, keeping his voice low and even. “I have something of Draco’s.”

He holds out the wand, showing him. Kreature looks at it, shifting his weight awkwardly.
“Harry Potter won’t tell where they are?” He asks, narrowing his eyes at Harry. “He won’t harm the Malfoy’s?”

Harry shakes his head, sliding the wand back into his pocket.
“I won’t tell a soul.” He answers. “And I won’t harm anyone. I just need to see Draco.”

Kreature hesitates for a moment.
“I swear.” Harry says, giving Kreature his word.

He nods then, opening the door for Harry further. Harry follows him inside, and Kreature leads him to a study. He opens the top drawer in the desk, pulling out a slip of paper with an address on it.
“Master left this for Kreature, in case someone important came looking.” He says, handing Harry the paper.

Harry takes it, reading over the address a couple times before handing the paper back.
“Keep it.” He tells him. “Someone more important might come by.”

Kreature looks at him with a confused expression before taking it back, setting it in the drawer. Harry thanks him as he leaves, hearing the door shut behind him. He recites the address to himself again as he walks down the street, having a vague idea of where it might be.

He walks down to the poorer part of the village, leaving Malfoy Manor far behind him. The houses are old, small, and falling apart as he passes them. He finds the house with the number on the slip that Kreature showed him, and he knocks on the door quietly.

He hears a shuffle on the opposite side of the door, and suddenly, Lucius Malfoy’s eye appears through a small crack in the opening door.
“What are you doing here?” He whispers, and Harry is unsure if his tone is disgust or disbelief.

Harry opens his mouth to answer, but the door suddenly swings open, cracking against the wall behind it with force. Narcissa stands beside Lucius with wide eyes and her mouth slightly open as she stares at Harry.

“Harry.” She breathes, suddenly moving forward and crushing Harry into a tight hug.
Harry hugs her back, squeezing her just as tightly.
“I wanted to thank you.” Harry whispers to her. “I never got the chance, but I wanted to thank you.”

She shakes her head, not daring to let him go yet.
“You saved my boy.” She whispers, her voice straining through the tears. “You saved us all.”

Harry’s eyes sting with tears as he thinks about Narcissa standing above him, her fingers pressed to his neck feeling his heart beating, and then standing and proclaiming him dead to Voldemort.
“You saved me.” Harry whispers back to her, squeezing her gently. “You didn’t have to, but you did.”

Narcissa sniffles, shaking her head as she leans back.
“Why’ve you come?” She asks, smiling at him through her tears. “What can we do?”

Lucius looks at Harry from a couple steps behind his wife, waving his wand and shutting the door behind them.
“I wanted to see Draco.” Harry answers, looking around the small main room. “I have his wand.”

Narcissa nods, stepping aside.
“He’s down the hall, room on the left.” She tells him quietly, pointing to the short hall.

Harry nods, walking between Lucius and Narcissa as he moves down the hall. The door on the left is cracked slightly, but Harry knocks quietly before opening it fully.
Draco looks up from his book, looking at Harry with wide eyes. He shuts the book slowly, standing up from where he sits on his bed.

“Harry.” He breathes, and Harry freezes in his tracks.
Draco’s never used his first name to address him, not that he could remember anyway.
“What’re you doing here?” Draco asks, not daring to take another step towards him.

Harry risks the gap, stepping closer slowly.
“I wanted to see if you were alright.” Harry asks, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the wand. “And I have this.”

Draco’s jaw clenches as he looks back at Harry, seeing his wand in his hand. He steps closer still, reaching out and taking the wand from him gently.
“Thank you.” He says quietly. “I’m okay. Are you?”

Harry nods, looking closely at the boy he’d spent years avoiding. Years hating.
But he's just as broken as Harry.
“As okay as anyone else is.” Harry answers after a moment.

Draco nods now, stepping back towards his bed. He sits on the edge of it, looking up at Harry before patting the mattress beside him, motioning for Harry to sit.
He does, sitting carefully beside the blonde boy.

“Is it bad?” Draco asks quietly. “Hogwarts?”
Harry takes a deep breath before he nods once.
“It is.” He answers. “But it’s getting better.”

Draco nods, looking at the wand in his hands.
“I haven’t left.” Harry continues. “I don’t want to. Neville and Luna are there too, have been the whole time.”

Draco nods again.
“I’m sorry about Crabbe.” Harry stays quietly.

Draco shakes his head now, standing suddenly and looking down at Harry.
“Why did you do that?” He asks, his voice louder than it has been. “Why did you save me and Goyle? Why didn’t you leave us to burn?”

Harry doesn’t stand, he just looks up at Draco as he speaks.
“Because you didn’t deserve to die like that.” Harry says softly. “None of you did.”

Draco’s eyes well with tears, and he looks up at the ceiling as he blinks them away.
“You could come back with me, you know.” Harry says, just as softly as before. “To Hogwarts.”

Draco scoffs.
“There’s no place for me there.” He answers, still looking up.

Harry stands slowly, looking at him.
“Draco, there will always be a place at Hogwarts for you.” Harry tells him.

Neither boy moves for a moment, then Draco slowly looks down to meet Harry’s gaze.
“After all I’ve done?” He asks, sniffling once.

Harry nods.
“Always.” He answers, feeling the sharp pain of losing Snape shoot through his body with his response.

Draco shakes his head.
“I tried to kill Dumbledore.” He says, his voice breaking as a tear slips down his cheek. “I tried to kill you.”

He doesn’t blink these tears away, simply letting them fall as he looks at Harry.
“You had to.” Harry replies. “I understand. Anyone would.”

Draco sniffles as he drags the back of his hand along his face.
“I left you all.” Draco says, more tears slipping down his pale face.

Harry reaches forward, setting his hand on Draco’s shoulder.
“If my parents had asked, I’d have joined them too.” Harry whispers.

Draco looks down at Harry, and as his weight shifts, Harry think’s he’s pulling away from his touch, but suddenly Draco’s body is crushed against Harry in a hug tighter than the one Narcissa gave him on his way in.
Harry hugs him back, feeling Draco’s tears soaking into the shoulder of his shirt.

“Come with me Draco.” Harry whispers, still hugging him tightly. “Your parents too.”
Draco leans back, looking down at Harry with tears in his eyes.
“I’ll come.” He whispers back, nodding slowly. “I don’t think they will, but I will.”

Harry smiles softly, nodding. They stay close for a moment longer before Draco breaks away, looking down at his shoes as he does.
“Stay here.” He tells Harry. “I’ll talk to them.”

Harry nods, watching as Draco leaves the room, shutting his door behind him. He waits in his room alone for a few minutes before he comes back in.
“They’re staying.” Draco says, lifting the comforter of his bed and pulling out a trunk. “Father can’t stand the embarrassment.”

Harry nods, taking the book off of the bed and setting it into the trunk as Draco pulls a few items from his wardrobe. The trunk remains mostly empty as he closes it, locking it and picking it up.
“Ready?” He asks Harry, and Harry nods.

They leave his room, walking back out to the main room before telling Lucius and Narcissa goodbye. Draco takes a deep breath as he opens the front door, and he begins his journey back to Hogwarts with Harry by his side.