Chapter 2
“Draco!” Parkinson’s cry brought all conversation in the Granger-Weasley’s sitting-room to a halt. Harry’s attention immediately snapped towards the shriek. He didn’t notice how the Firewhiskey bottle shattered in his fist upon seeing Malfoy, pale as a sheet- even worse than that day in the Ministry- shivering like mad, with spit coming out of his mouth and his eyes rolled back.
“He needs to go to St. Mungos!” Someone shouted. Parkinson practically snarled, and Theodore Nott glared at the floor beside her.
“What will they do for him there? They won’t treat him with the Mark on his arm,” Nott said lowly. The room grew steadily silent once more as his words sunk in. No one argued against him.
“I’ll take him!” Harry said, stepping forward quickly. “If they say something I’ll handle it,” He pleaded to the two Slytherins, his worry growing with every second that Malfoy continued to lie in pain on the couch. He hated pulling what Malfoy would call the “Potter card”, yet he knew it had to be done to ensure Malfoy’s safety.
“I’m coming with you,” Parkinson said, her tone affirmed and determined albeit shaky. Harry nodded sharply, and before anyone could protest, he carefully levitated Malfoy, took Parkinson’s arm in his own, and had all three of them through the Floo with a single cry of St. Mungos!
***
“I guess being the Golden-Boy really does have its perks,” Pansy said as they sat in the waiting room; Malfoy was being attended to in one of the rooms down the hall. Thankfully the medi-witch who had admitted them didn’t give them much trouble besides confirming that Harry was the realHarry Potter, as well as a few strange looks she had not-so-discreetly shot in Malfoy and Pansy’s direction.
“That’s not the first time I’ve heard that,” Harry said with a slight smile. Pansy tapped her nails on the metal arms of her seat. “I hate it, you know,” He said quietly, he looked at Pansy to see her regarding him with slight amusement, her mouth quirked up slightly. Harry couldn’t figure out what she was thinking at that moment, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know. He gave her a small smirk of his own as he continued. “But you’re right- it helps sometimes.”
Silence washed over them, and Harry’s knee began to bounce, the faint sound of his shoe on the tile the only sound between them both for several moments other than the click of Pansy's acrylic nails on her seat. They were the only two there besides a woman who was fast asleep in one of the small chairs, as well as a medi-wizard at the reception desk. The small waiting room was sparsely decorated with holiday-colored paper chains and crayon-colored snowmen that bounced and danced in place. It was a tad pitiful how lackluster the hospital felt in its festivity, but Harry supposed it was better than nothing.
Pansy leaned her head onto her own shoulder. “I would’ve thought you’d be more worried- with him being your best mate, n’ all,” Harry commented. Pansy huffed dismissively and sighed, resting her hands in her lap.
“This has happened before, it’s always frightening- when it does- but,” She rolled her head back to look up at the ceiling, dark hair falling beside her ears, “I know he’ll be alright, he’s stronger than anyone thinks.” Harry’s eyes widened at her words.
A vision of a 16-year-old Draco Malfoy, weeping with shaking hands clutching the rim of the sink in the bathroom on that day flashed into Harry’s mind, and his knee stopped bouncing. Perhaps he’s stronger than he thinks. I just have to prove that to him, though. “He’s told me about you, you know,” Pansy remarked softly, eyes now trained on one of the dancing snowmen that hung on the wall across from where they sat. Harry swallowed, glancing now at her face.
“I don’t suppose all good things,” Harry quipped, and the corner of Pansy’s mouth quirked up, her eyes smug.
“No- not all good things- but he’s told me about you going out of your way just to walk with him each day, reheating his tea for him, silly things like that.” Pansy’s smirk grew, “Who knew you’d end up being courteous to Dracoof all people.” Harry felt heat flood his face a bit. Does she really know that much? He thought.
“He’s told you a lot, then?” Harry asked timidly. Pansy laughed, quietly and full of mirth.
“Oh, he’s only told me enough,” She answered and Harry’s brows scrunched up in confusion.
Enough? What does enough mean? It’s not like we’ve been doing anything suspicious! “I think it’s sweet, but you really need to watch yourself, Potter. Draco’s been surprisingly- tolerant of you as of late,” She smirked, and laughed once more as Harry’s eyes grew comically wide.
Just as Harry’s mind began to rapidly produce visions of Pansy plotting his murder whilst Draco lists how Harry’s been stepping over his boundaries and making him uncomfortable, a medi-wizard approached the pair.
“For Malfoy, Draco, yes?” He asked, tired eyes passive as he nodded at them. Pansy and Harry stood up, and to his shock, Pansy quietly hooked her arm around his elbow as they walked.
“He’ll be alright, like you said,” Harry assured, and the Slytherin nodded her head confidently, but the tremble of her jaw betrayed her. The medi-wizard led them to the small room that held Draco’s sleeping form. Pansy let go of his arm and strode quickly to Draco’s side, her eyes bearing concern as they darted across his body.
“His loss of consciousness was simply from lightheadedness caused by a fever, and we have him on a pain potion as well,” the medi-wizard started, and Pansy kept her attention focused on Draco while he spoke, her hands curled over the short plastic rail enclosing his bed. “However, the fever he’s got is one we’ve been seeing quite often in those who faced severe and direct trauma throughout the war,” The medi-wizard stilled for a moment, as though waiting for Pansy or Harry to comment on what he had said. The two remained silent. “From what we’re seeing, the amount of Crucio he has been givenhas greatly damaged his immune system- so we’d prefer to have him stay here for a little monitoring and some potions that should prevent the possibility of any diseases. I’ll need one relative to sign on his behalf for that to happen, though,” The medi-wizard explained. Pansy looked at Harry, and he nodded.
“I’ll call Andromeda,” He said and she hummed in acknowledgment before returning her focus to Draco. It was eerie to see her so quiet when she had been laughing at him only moments earlier.
“I know this may be hard to hear, but we’re trying our best to-” The medi-wizard hesitated when Pansy all but glared ferociously at him.
“Just get on with it- he’s not going to get better- his body’s failing him all because his shitty father was a fucking idiot and all you can do is pump some chemicals into him and hail Merlin, don’ttry to sugarcoat it for our sakes,” She said sternly, and Harry inhaled sharply. With all that rage- she could’ve been a Gryffindor, he thought, and quietly apologized to the now flustered medi-wizard who was already half-way out the door, before joining Pansy at Draco’s side.
To his shock, a quiet sob escaped her, and tears blemished with mascara spilled down her cheeks. “He’s only getting worse, Potter,” she whispered, “One minute he’s fine, and everything feels alright, and the next he’s bedridden, as fragile as glass,” Her grip on the rail tightened. “And I can’t do anything, none of us can,” She said brokenly. Harry felt tears rise up in his own eyes, and willed them to not fall as he tugged his lip between his teeth.
Draco's mouth was slightly parted as slow breaths escaped him, and his lashes fluttered against his cheeks where his eyelids rested closed. Even ill and in deep sleep, he appeared ethereal. Harry looked to Pansy’s crying face, and frustration suddenly consumed him. His jaw clenched, and his fists balled tightly into the fabric of his pants. How can she give up on him that easily? He cried inwardly. How will he ever get better if she loses all hope for him now?
“Stronger than anyone else thinks he is,” Harry murmured, and Pansy turned her face to him, eyebrows raised in shock. “That’s what you told me, right?” He asked and Pansy took in a stuttered breath before nodding.
“Yes,” She whispered as another tear fell from her eyes.
“Then why are you telling me the opposite?” He said, louder this time. “Y-you’re not helpless to him! There has to be some way- something we can do- if you let him whither away because you think he can’t recover then you’re not really saying he’s strong- are you?” He asked and Pansy shut her eyes tightly.
“Fuck you, Potter,” She whispered slowly, and Harry clenched his jaw, refusing to retort. “Of course I’m not giving up- I want him to get better so badly, and nothing’s been working-” She collapsed into sobs once more, and Harry didn’t think he’d ever seen her be this emotional before. It felt like he was intruding on something, something he wasn’t meant to be apart of. That it should have just been Pansy and Malfoy in the room, not him as well. He pushed that thought aside and slowly placed his hand atop hers on the bed-rail. She didn’t react, her head resting on her forearms as soft, breathless cries continued to escape her. He squeezed her hand once.
“We still have time. We can find a way, Pansy,” he said softly. She let out one last shaky breath, and controlled her breathing more, loosening her grip on the rail slightly. Harry removed his hand.
“I couldn’t believe Draco at first when he told me how kind you were being to him, back when you both started off in the DMLE,” she said, her voice was raspy from her crying, she rubbed at her eyes with her palm, “Who knew you’d be such a Hufflepuff, Potter?” She questioned, laughing shortly. Harry smiled gently.
“I’m going to assume that was meant to be a compliment,” he said and Pansy hummed.
As the pair continued to look at Malfoy’s sleeping figure, Pansy eventually sunk into the chair beside Harry, and they watched the soft dip and rise of Draco’s chest as he breathed.
Momentarily forgetting that the other Slytherin was there beside him, Harry couldn’t help but reach out and brush away a blond lock of hair that had fallen over Draco’s forehead. It was soft between his fingers and Harry let his hand fall to rest gently upon Draco’s chest, feeling the fabric over his heart for a moment before pulling back.
Prunella Evalesco… strengthens and enhances… Harry thought idly, there must be something more- something to help him without hurting him more… This can’t happen again.
When he caught Pansy giving him an all-knowing look, he decided it was time to phone Andromeda.
***
When Draco woke up, it was to the sight of Pansy, slumped over in her seat, mascara stains down her cheeks, and one of her hands loosely rested on the rail beside his bed, as well as Potter, whose face was smushed into the rail, arms limp beside him and drool coming out of his mouth. Draco smiled faintly, before the memories from the party rushed back. He winced in embarrassment. So many people must’ve seen him fall down last night, it was humiliating to think about. I’ll write to Granger and Weasley, tell them I’m alright and apologize for ruining the party.
“Malfoy?” A sleepy voice grumbled, and Draco glanced at Potter to see the man staring at him through tired eyes and crooked glasses, tangled curls falling down into his face. A bell tinkled from his sweater, and Draco chuckled quietly.
“You’re still wearing that monstrosity,” He said softly, and Potter’s mouth quirked up. It wasn’t until he spoke that Draco realized how parched his throat felt. His head felt like it was filled with cotton, and his limbs felt weaker than ever. He only coughed once, before a cold glass of water was quickly pushed into his hands from Potter.
“And you’re still an arse, not much has changed in the last 24 hours, I think,” Harry replied as Draco sipped the water, and Draco rolled his eyes from above the glass. He handed the glass back to Potter, who set it on a table beside his bed, and attempted to sit up a bit more. When Potter reached forward to help him adjust his pillow, Draco weakly swatted at his hands, and Potter pulled them back.
“I’m sorry I ruined our dinner for adversaries,” Draco said softly, and Harry chuckled.
“It’s alright, I think Ron was a bit more concerned about your wellbeing than the state of the party,” he replied.
“You think?” Draco asked, confused. Harry hummed.
“You’d be surprised how many people care about you, Malfoy,” He said softly, and Draco’s eyes widened in alarm.
“Potter-”
“Oh, Draco you’re awake! Oh thank Merlin,” Pansy leapt up, pushing Harry aside carelessly as she wrapped her arms around her best friend’s shoulders.
“Glad to see you’ve gotten your rest, Pans,” Draco quipped and she said nothing, only squeezed him tighter in her hold.
“You really scared me, Theo too,” She whispered. And, eyes flicking to Potter momentarily, Draco raised a hand to rest on her back, drawing his friend in closer.
“I’m sorry,” He said, and she clenched the fabric of the hospital gown at his back.
“You should be,” She said, anger and fear laced in her words. Draco felt a wetness from where her face was pressed into his neck, and he sighed, shutting his eyes as she cried into him. Pansy rarely cried in public.
“Maybe I should go-” Potter started, and Draco’s eyes opened quickly, before he reached out his hand to stop him.
“Don’t- Pansy’s just being dramatic,” He said, wincing as the witch hit his shoulder in retaliation. Potter smiled, the skin around his eyes crinkled upwards with mirth, and it was then that Draco noticed the deep bags underneath them. “You both didn’t have to stay the night,” He said quietly, and Pansy abruptly pushed away from him.
“You can be a real idiot sometimes, Draco,” She said sternly, “Of course we stayed,” She pinched the skin of his forearm and Draco winced before scowling at her. Potter was oddly quiet beside her, tapping his thumbs at his lap with his gaze pointed downward.
“I just don’t think it was worth staying the night over, it’s not like I died,” Draco huffed, eyes still trained on Potter’s tired form. He was startled, however, when Pansy brashly stood up, red-rimmed eyes enraptured in anger.
“You could’ve!” She cried frustratedly. “You could’ve died, Draco, so don’t you ever fucking question why I stay with you- why he stays with you- you’re not immortal, so act like it, dumbass.” Her voice was shaky but laced with venom, and she clenched her fists before pushing past a shocked Potter and excusing herself from the room. Potter watched her go with wide eyes. Draco let his head loll back onto his pillow, closing his eyes as her words sunk in. You’re not immortal.
“That was harsh,” Potter said, whistling softly. Draco smiled.
“You should’ve seen her when I once borrowed her makeup without asking,” Draco murmured quietly, smiling weakly as Potter stifled a laugh.
“She really cares about you,” Potter said softly. There was a warm expression on his face, even as he avoided eye contact, that made Draco’s heart rate spike a bit.
“It’s a blessing and a curse,” He replied, and Potter chuckled, tired eyes crinkling up in a small smile. Draco frowned slightly.
“I have to ask though-” he started, and Potter’s eyes widened slightly, “Why, Potter? Why did you stay the whole night, for me?” Draco asked seriously. It didn’t make any sense. Pansy had offhandedly mentioned that Potter’s presence had snagged him a private room, but it didn’t make sense for him to stay once Draco’s attendance was assured. And besides, Potter always had something to do, so why was Draco suddenly top priority on that list?
He watched Potter’s adam-apple bob in response to his question. Draco felt guilt stir in his gut as he took in Potter’s rumpled clothes, his poorly masked exhaustion, and the red mark on his cheek from where his face had been squished against the rail of Draco’s bed-frame.
“Perhaps I am just some hearty, selfless Gryffindor-” Potter started, a strained, smug smile on his face. Draco scowled.
“Why, Potter,” He repeated, and Potter stilled, expression twisting into something unreadable. “Why do you always-”
“You always let me,” Potter said, eyebrows set slightly inwards in determination, his voice steady. The nerve! Draco thought angrily.
He didn’t let Potter take him to the hospital, or hold onto his arm when Draco got tired from walking for too long, or bring him his favorite tea from the store when they ran out in the ministry cupboards. He just didn’t say no; there lay a large distinction between letting something happen, and not saying no. Draco opened his mouth to voice this strongly, when the door of the room suddenly opened with a creak.
“I’ve come back with visitors,” Pansy’s slightly-sniffling voice said from the doorway. They both looked up, to see none other than Draco’s aunt, and a small tuft of blue hair peeking out from behind the woman's hip.
***
“I’m sorry I couldn’t get here sooner, our floo was broken and Teddy’s still too young to apparate with me,” Andromeda said, wrinkled eyes crinkling up in apology.
“That’s alright,” Draco said, slightly overwhelmed. The tension in the room was like a screeching tea kettle, the knob suddenly turned down so that the heat was lowered, the whistling now a quiet hum.
“He’s been very excited to see you,” Andromeda said, her smile turning into one filled with mirth. The wisp of blue hair behind her suddenly became more visible, and a 5 year old Teddy Lupin stepped out from behind his grandmother. His small brows were furrowed up, and his lips were drawn into a pout upon seeing Draco’s bedridden form. Draco silently opened his arms expectedly and within an instant Teddy was beaming, blue hair now a cool shade of pale blond as he ran into his cousin’s arms. Andy took Pansy’s chair, which she had been offered immediately, and looked at her nephew and grandson with a fond smile.
“I got- really really worried, cousin Draco,” Teddy mumbled into the front of Draco’s hospital gown. Draco placed his hand over the crown of the child’s head, holding him closely for a moment.
“There’s nothing to worry over,” He whispered, “I’m alright, see?” Draco said, squeezing the boy tighter. Teddy yelped and giggled as he tried to extract himself from Draco’s grip. Draco’s gaze flitted over to Potter’s for a moment, and nearly reeled back from the amount of warmth that shone in his green eyes as he looked at the pair. “I think there’s some people you’ve forgotten to say hi to,” Draco whispered, and Teddy looked up at him with a surprised expression, his mouth turned into an “o” shape, blond hair ruffled beyond fixing.
“Oh!” He said, and quickly scrambled off of Draco’s bed. “Uncle Harry!” He cried happily, and Harry obediently lifted him up, kissing his cheek wrapping his arms around the excited boy with ease.
“Hey, Ted,” He said, “Holding up ok?” He asked quietly, and Teddy nodded.
“Mhm! It’s okay now, we brought cakes for cousin Draco, but it’s a surprise you can’t can’t tell,” Teddy whispered seriously and Harry nodded firmly.
“I promise,” He whispered, smiling as Draco chuckled quietly from behind Teddy.
“Oh, hurry up and give him to me, Potter,” Pansy said, and Teddy brightened up, reaching now for Pansy instead. She brought him onto her hip and smiled at the child before taking his small hands in her own.
“You look just like Draco with your hair like that,” She said, and Teddy’s eyes widened.
“Oh, really!” He said excitedly, “Grandmother says one day I’ll control it and make it any color I like- but I like it this way too,” the boy rambled, and Pansy smiled. “Do I really look just like cousin Draco?” He asked excitedly, his entire expression enraptured in awe.
“Two in the same,” Pansy whispered, and Teddy beamed. He began to squirm a bit in Pansy’s hold, so she set him down on the floor where he rushed back to Andromeda’s side, hair flashing from blonde to light brown then back to his normal shade of blue in a matter of seconds.
“Granny! Can we give the surprise now?” He whispered loudly, tugging on her skirt. Andromeda nodded, and rested her hand atop his cerulean hair.
“I think that’s a good idea,” She replied, and fetched a large basket out of her small purse. It had a large assortment of green and silver ribbons tied on the handle, and white tissue paper peaked up from the sides.
Draco chuckled behind his palm fondly as Teddy tried to lift the large basket all by himself, managing to put it atop Draco’s bedside, but just nearly.
“This is lovely,” Draco said, smiling in gratitude as he placed the basket into his lap. “Very pretty,” He took one of the soft ribbons between his fingers, smiling as he read the TO: COUZIN DRACO, LOVE: TEDDY AND GRAN that was scrawled out in large blue writing.
He noticed Teddy eyeing the basket with widened brown eyes, and Draco reached inside the basket to hand him one of the small tea cakes that sat there. It was covered in red icing with a green christmas tree on top. Teddy looked to Andromeda first, who tsked but nodded her head, and proceeded to eat the cake in two bites. The adults around him chuckled, Andromeda fetching a handkerchief to wipe the icing from the young boy’s face.
Draco passed a cake out to Potter and Pansy as well, Andromeda having declined, and held back a laugh when Potter shoved the thing into his mouth in a manner rivaling Teddy’s. He bit into a tea cake himself, this one with silver frosting and a golden star rather. The flavor of lavender and poppyseed hit his tongue, putting him into a remembrance of eating cakes with his mother and father after spending a day in the Manor gardens as a child. However, Draco would’ve been chided endlessly if he scarfed cakes down in any manner similar to Teddy (and Potter).
“I managed to sign those forms, so they should be able to get you some more medicine soon enough,” Andromeda told him, and Draco nodded in thanks.
“Merlin only knows what they pump into my veins,” Draco muttered, idly thumbing the ribbon on the basket. With amusement he noticed both Potter and Teddy staring at the cakes in the basket once more with matching expressions, and handed them each another one, despite the look he got from Andromeda in return.
“They wouldn’t give it to you if it couldn’t help,” Harry said through a mouthful of lemon cake. Draco scrunched his nose up in disgust, unconsciously reached over to wipe away a crumb from Potter’s cheek.
“You’re appalling, Potter,” Draco said fondly, and Harry stubbornly took a larger bite of cake. Andromeda and Pansy glanced at each other, unbeknown to Harry and Draco; with a wicked smile on Pansy’s face, and a more exasperated one on Andromeda’s.
***
After some time, Teddy grew sleepy, and it was when his head began to loll onto the side of Draco’s bed that Andromeda decided it was time for them to make their leave.
Pansy would be leaving as well and had already phoned Theo, who would be arriving shortly. Harry suddenly felt very out of place. It was a Wednesday, so he technically could go into work if he wished. However Hermione would most likely heckle him on pushing himself too much if he did. After all, a short night’s sleep on a hospital chair hadn’t really given him much rest.
Molly would surely give Harry some dinner if he stopped by, though a strange, guilt-like feeling flooded him when he thought of himself eating a large meal surrounded by many people in a warm home, while Draco would sit likely alone and cold in the hospital room. Harry had never really thought about what Draco did on his week-day nights before. Does he spend them with Andromeda? Eat by himself? Work a late shift? Harry hoped the answer wasn’t the last two.
“Alright there, Potter?” Draco asked, looking at Harry with his brows drawn in slightly forward.
“Would you like to have dinner tonight?” Harry asked quickly, a blush forming on his cheeks. Draco’s eyebrows raised, his mouth parting slightly in shock. His ears were tinted read at the tips, and he was looking at Harry like he had just suggested they go to a muggle amusement park.
“Potter, I’m quite flattered, but at the moment I’m a bit preoccupied,” Draco said with amusement, gesturing to his bed-ridden self. Harry winced at himself and waved his hands out in an attempt to correct himself.
“N-not like that! I meant here- so that you wouldn’t be all alone,” Harry explained, feeling more embarrassed as time wore on. Draco’s amused smile faded slightly, but he nodded.
“Oh, yes I suppose,” Draco said, “Th-that would be nice,” He said and Harry grinned.
“I, er- guess I should be going then, with Nott on the way and all,” Harry said a moment later, and Draco exhaled softly. “Six fine?”
“Alright.” Harry stood from his chair, wiping the dust off his jeans as he started to leave.
“Take care, Draco,” He said with a small wave. He didn’t see Draco’s returning wave, or the slight tremble in the blond’s shoulders as he left.
***
“Potter!” Pansy’s slightly shrill voice shouted from Harry’s mobile, making him wince and move the phone away from his ear.
“Hello to you too, Pansy,” He said grimly. “What’s wrong?”
“You need to go to Draco’s apartment and get his cat. I would do it myself but I’m a bit taken up at the moment- Gin says hi ” she spoke hurriedly.
“Tell Gin I say hi too, and er- what do I do with it?” Harry asked, "The cat, I mean." Pansy laughed through the phone.
“And to think you’re the saviour of the Wizarding World,” She said. Harry could see her smirk through the phone.
“Hey-”
“Oh don’t get all upset- there’ll be a bag of food in one of the upper cabinets- just give her a cup-full or two and then take her over to yours. I’ll pick her up in the morning,” Pansy said, and Harry’s mouth twisted into a pout. If the cat was anything like her owner, Harry would be in quite some trouble.
Harry sighed softly, and set his mobile down onto the kitchen table. He moved to the living room to start up the fire for the Floo. Grimmauld’s large fireplace huffed dust and ash at him, before the powder settled in and burst out green flames. Harry wiped the ash from his glasses, and shouted into the fire.
“55 Diagon Alley Apartment 7C, London!” He cried, and stepped in.
He had only been to Malfoy’s apartment once before, to drop off Teddy for a visit. He hadn’t been allowed in past the welcome mat, but that wasn’t important.
When he stepped out of Malfoy’s surprisingly quaint red-brick fireplace, it was to a decently-sized and well decorated flat. Dark-colored wooden floors and furniture were accented by soft-looking blue and green carpets and blankets. A large grandfather clock was hung from the wall, with the Malfoy crest at its center. Harry briefly wondered how much of the Slytherin’s furniture had been brought from the Manor.
A nice-looking tea set sat on an oak-wood coffee table in the living room. There were only three pictures that he saw in the whole living space: one of a young-looking Narcissa with a small Draco beside her, another one with a small Teddy balanced on the knee of a much larger Draco, as well as one that seemed to have been recently taken, with Draco, Pansy, Nott, Zabini, and Crabbe all sat together on a large sofa. A small Christmas tree sat in a corner, with ridiculously expensive-looking ornaments, but no presents underneath. The flat may have looked expensive, but it was also clearly lived in, if the stray books and slippers beside the couch were anything to go by. A soft meow shook him from his observations, and Harry turned his attention to a black cat, who was inspecting him with large brown eyes.
“Well hello,” Harry said happily, he bent down to her level and held out his hand, suddenly feeling as though he were back at Ms.Figg’s house, getting to know each of her cats for means of entertainment. “Bun, isn’t it?” He asked politely.
The cat’s ears flicked back and she crouched before slowly stretching out her head to smell the tips of his fingers. She crooned softly, and fitted her head into his palm. Harry chuckled, and softly scratched the space behind her ears. “You like affection much more than your owner,” Harry said, and Bun meowed in response. “I’m supposed to feed you now, then we’ll go off to mine. How does that sound?” Harry stood, and Bun trotted to the kitchen, her paws making no sound on the soft carpet that lay in the living room.
He poured out some food for her, before spelling the kibble-bag and her bed into his pocket. When Bun seemed to have her fill of food and water, Harry tentatively picked her up, and then floo’d them over to Grimmauld Place.
The silence and familiar smell of dust greeted Harry when he arrived back home. Bun twitched her nose and sneezed when Harry put her down, and he smiled softly at the cat. He leaned down to stroke her back, before she scampered off likely to explore the rest of his home.
As Harry stood in the parlor of his flat, he was flooded with a strange interest of knowing if Draco was doing alright in that moment or not- even though he knew that Mungo’s was probably treating him just fine. He’s not a child, I don’t need to worry. He told himself in a manner Hermione would’ve been proud of.
Harry clenched his fists for a moment, before he released them and walked further into Grimmauld. He changed out of the festive sweater, fondly flicking one of the bells on it to hear it ring. He decided to put it on a higher shelf in his closet, just in case Bun was the scratching-through-clothes type, though he doubted it.
The clock read 4:00 pm, yet it felt much later, the weight of the previous night sat heavy on his shoulders. The party at Ron and Hermione’s felt as though it happened years ago, rather than less than 24 hours prior.
When he went back downstairs, Bun, who seemed to have completed her exploring of his home, was curled up on top of the couch. Harry smiled as he understood where the source of her name came from: she truly looked like a little bun there on the couch. Harry exhaled slowly, he had two hours till Draco would be expecting him for dinner.
Maybe I’ll make him something. Harry thought, and soon had rice simmering on the stove and vegetables boiling in a pot.
Cooking was something that came natural to him, as natural as it could after Petunia had forced him into perfecting nearly all of the Dursley’s meals. Bun circled his legs while he cooked, and he chuckled before setting out her food for her, giving her a small piece of chicken for good measure. Harry looked at Draco’s cat fondly, and a small pang of sadness ran through him. She probably didn’t know where her owner was, or why she was in this strange new place. Harry bent down to her level and scratched her ears in the way he had quickly learned she liked.
“It’ll be alright, Malfoy’ll be better soon,” He said and the cat blinked at him. Harry chuckled and stood back up.
He needs to be better soon if we’re going to test the plant this week. If my assumptions are wrong and all we’ve done has been for nothing… This needs to be our lead. He huffed, and gave the bulgur rice a stir in the chicken broth. Harry then spelled the food into a container with a sustaining charm on it, and once making sure Bun was safe and sound, left his flat for the second time that day.
***
Draco was nose deep in several large paper’s worth of notes when Harry arrived in his room. He was holding a large pyrex of something that smelled wonderful, and Draco pushed his glasses up off his nose to sit atop his hair.
“You’ve come well-armed, Potter,” Draco quipped, nodding to the container of food, and Harry blushed slightly, raising a hand to scratch at his cheek sheepishly.
“Thought you’d be famished,” He said, and he set the pyrex down onto the table beside Draco’s bed. “Where’d you get those?” Harry asked, nodding to the papers in Draco’s hands. Draco glanced at them and sighed.
“Smith dropped them off,” He answered and huffed a laugh when he saw Harry’s surprised expression, “I know it’s not flowers, but Smith said he’s been looking for other medicines and concoctions made with the Prunella Evalesco to see if there’s any similarities, and this is what he’s found,” Draco said, gesturing to the notes. Harry’s mouth quirked up in a small smile as his eyes gazed over the notes.
“You’ve got to hand it to him- he is pretty diligent,” Harry said as he looked over one paragraph that seemed to go on and on about the healing properties of Evalesco leaves. Draco tsked, rolling his eyes before motioning for Harry to pass the papers back.
“Did Mona not come?” Harry asked curiously. He often saw the two around the office together, and she would most certainly know of Draco’s incident by now.
“Smith said she was caught up in something,” Draco explained with a small shrug, “Were you not in today?” he asked, and Harry averted his eyes.
“By the time I got home it was already late, there was no point.” Draco’s brows furrowed together at Harry’s response, his mouth pouting slightly in confusion.
“But you spend every moment you can in the office, you breathe your work,” Draco stated very matter-of-factly, Harry shrugged again and Draco huffed. “Insufferable,” He muttered, and Harry smiled. “What were you busy doing till now then?” Draco asked.
“Curious, are we?”
“I’ve been cooped up here like an owl on bedrest all day, Potter, please indulge me,” Draco bemoaned and Harry rolled his eyes fondly.
“I was taking care of your cat, actually,” Harry replied, and Draco raised his brows.
“You’re looking after Bun? Merlin- I hope she’ll be alive by the time I’m out of here,” Draco huffed and Harry tched. “Was she alright?” Draco then asked, and Harry noted the slight concern in his voice. He really loves that cat.
“She’s alright, I left her food and water, and I think pestering Kreacher will be enough entertainment for her as of now,” Harry said and Draco chuckled softly. “She’s very friendly, I’ve been wondering how she got like that,” Harry asked with a teasing smile, and Draco rolled his eyes at the quip.
“Oh hush,” Draco said, “Now could you hold off on being an arse for one moment so we can eat.”
They sat there for some time, eating the cooked vegetables, chicken, and rice with occasional conversation about the case file, Teddy, Bun, Pansy, the medi-witch who had accidentally spilled a potion on Draco’s lap that morning, among other things.
“You still never answered my question, Potter.” It was when Draco said this, that Harry tensed, setting his fork down onto the plate he had transfigured from a napkin. “Why did you spend the whole night yesterday? Pansy was already with me, I was perfectly fine,” Draco spoke with a smug lilt to his voice, and Harry quickly grew loathsome of it.
“Fine’s one way to put it.” Draco’s face turned into a scowl, and he rolled his eyes with an exhale.
“I told you I was never going to be your pity case, if you’ve gone against that I-”
“As much as you try to deny it, we’re friends, Draco. I don’t pity you, you twat, I care about you!” Harry said exasperatedly, "That's why I stayed." He knew that Draco couldn’t possibly resent him after all this time. He knew that he would’ve been out of Draco’s life a long time ago if he did. It was foolishly ignorant to disregard the fact that they both cared for one another, and Harry was growing tired of it.
“It wasn’t even a decade ago that we wanted each other dead!” Draco cried out, and Harry groaned in frustration.
“Well I didn’t want you dead!” He shouted back.
“That’s not the point! We were enemies!”
“Does that matter? We’re not enemies now,”
“Well we’re certainly not friends,”
“What is so awful about you being my friend, Draco, tell me!” Draco’s face turned to stone, and he glared at Harry in a way he hadn’t in years.
“It’s not that it’s just-” Draco huffed, his breaths shaky and his eyes shut in frustration as he continued, ”Do you have any clue how it feels, to have your body constantly fail you, to have most of the people around you think that you deserve it- only to have the one person who should hate you the most- treat you like bloody porcelain?”
“God how many times do I have to fucking say it? You’re not made of porcelain. You’re not the person you were. And if after all this time you still don’t think we’re friends, then I suppose there’s no point in me sticking around.” Harry’s voice was calm but laced with venom. He rose from his chair and cleaned up the remainder of the food in silence. Draco didn’t speak, but Harry caught his lip wobble slightly out of the corner of his eye. Harry left, and Draco still hadn’t said a word.