Written for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry - Flying class – week 1 term 4.

Prompt used: (Plot) A Funeral

Written for Chocolate Frog Card - (Silver) Banshee Challenge - Someone is extremely emotional and distressed in your story.

I hope you like it. I am almost sure that this collection is going to be slash but it will be very mild as I'm not a great Romance writer. There will be at the very least 12 stories as hats how many assignments there are.

It was a private event. Not many came, most of the Order members did. Harry was as surprised as anyone when Draco Malfoy and someone who Harry assumed was his mother also made an appearance. Harry could feel his face flush in fury that they dare show their faces but when Tonks and Remus both gave Narcissa a hug his fury dissipated into disbelief and despite himself, curiosity.

"Harry, could you come over here a minute please?" Remus called.

Harry eyed the group suspiciously but approached. When he arrived Remus placed a hand on his shoulder and gripped tightly.

"Harry. This is Narcissa Malfoy and you know Draco."

Harry nodded his head but made no move to speak. Remus cleared his throat and continued on.

"Narcissa is... I mean was S-Sirius' cousin."

Harry whipped his head up to make sure Remus wasn't joking but he seemed too sad to be lying. Harry looked back at the woman before him and caught a tear in her eye before it disappeared. Harry felt his own eyes welling up but refused to cry, especially in front of them.

"Okay." Harry said. He honestly wasn't sure what to say to the pair so he decided on nothing.

"Harry was Sirius' godson, I wasn't sure if he ever informed you. I know you two were particularly close."

"I was aware." Narcissa replied but remained stoic.

Draco didn't say anything but Harry was pleasantly surprised to see a neutral expression rather than the hatred that he usually wore whenever he caught sight of Harry.

"We will go find a seat, come Draco."

Draco still didn't say a word but followed his mother inside. He did look up. He looked up and made eye contact with Harry who was surprised yet again when all he saw was understanding, and grief. Harry shook off his feelings for the strange Draco he was seeing and followed them inside. The funeral was starting.

It was half way through when Harry realised he couldn't stand it.

"Sirius was a trouble maker..."

All the speeches were the same.

"He was a joker but a good man..."

Harry was starting to lose control and he knew he couldn't.

"He didn't deserve to die so young..."

Not when he was the reason Sirius was dead.

"He died a hero..."

Harry fled. He didn't see the silver eyes following him out.

Harry didn't go far. There was a clutter of trees about 500 meters away from the gathering and Harry settled himself at the base of one of the trees. Here he cried.

He cried for the first time. Once he started he couldn't stop. He sobbed and shook and let out all the grief he was feelings. He let out the regret, he let out the guilt. He started to breathe quickly and was on the verge of hyperventilating yet he paid that no mind.

He shouldn't have died. Harry thought.

My fault.

My fault.

My fault.

Stupid.

My fault.

Should have listened.

His thoughts went around in circles and he couldn't control them devolving into spoken words. Of course he didn't notice he was mumbling his thoughts through his tears and snot. Even if he did there was no one around to hear him, so he thought.

Silver eyes watched the boy collapse into himself and dissolve into the grief that was so plain to see if one just looked. He watched as the sobs grew louder and more hysterical and he started to approach. He was slow and quiet, not wanting to startle the boy, but soon realised he wouldn't notice at the present time. It didn't take Draco very long to be close enough to hear the mumbled words.

"Stupid... my fault... should have listened... leave me... too much... can't handle."

Draco would never show it but the frantic and almost hysterical words broke something inside him. Without any conscious thought his arms were wrapping themselves around the boy. He expected to be pushed away but Potter turned towards him and cried into his shoulder. They stayed that way for a while and Draco tried to calm the boy down, whispering words and rubbing a hand softly up and down his back. He could feel the stilted and frantic breathing so Draco focused on keeping his own breathing calm.

"Breathe with me." Draco whispered over and over. He refused to think about the moment Potter realised Draco Malfoy was the one comforting him.

Harry could hear a soft, comforting voice penetrating his brain. He could feel arms around him and a hand stroking his back. It felt nice. Harry soaked up the comfort while he suffered through the pain. Eventually he realised there was no more tears. His breathing had evened out without his notice and he felt extremely drained. He turned his head to settle in the crook of the unknown persons shoulder and closed his eyes. He heaved a sigh and could feel all the tension leaving his body as he sagged into the person who let out a sound of surprise. Harry didn't care. He could feel himself drifting off to sleep, he didn't care about that either. A hand shook his shoulder but he shrugged it off.

"Come on Potter, get up. People are going to come out soon."

Harry was going to shrug off the voice as well but something about being called Potter made tension shoot through his body again. There were only two people that called him Potter and one of them wasn't here. Harry's eyes snapped open and he pushed himself away from the body, stumbling and falling slightly. There in front of him, wet patch on his shirt and all, was Draco Malfoy.

"W-wha... what the hell." Harry stuttered. His voice was hoarse and weak but Malfoy seemed to hear him. He didn't have the usual sneer on his face and his eyes did not show any hatred but there was something there. Something he never thought he would see directed at him from the Ice Prince. Concern.

"Are you okay now?"

Harry could do nothing but stare at the boy in front of him. Malfoy raised himself to his feet and Harry followed suit. He quickly realised that was a bad idea as the change in altitude made his head dizzy and his body sway. A hand grabbed his elbow and steadied him.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked once his vision had settled.

Malfoy frowned at him and opened his mouth to reply but Harry didn't give him the chance.

"No, you know what, don't answer." Harry's voice was growing stronger by the minute. "If you're going to laugh then do it but I swear to Merlin if you try to blackmail me I will curse you until you can't feel anything in your body ever again."

"I'm not going to blackmail you!" He sounded almost offended.

"Well what the bloody hell am I meant to think? Since when do you comfort me, or anyone for that matter?"

"... I don't know. I just... He was my family too..." Malfoy looked down and Harry was surprised by the sympathy and guilt he felt.

"Mm sorry." Harry mumbled after a while.

Malfoy looked up in surprise.

"I guess... I mean I know I'm not the only one grieving... I just... well it's you."

Malfoy let out a bitter chuckle. "Yeah, I know."

Harry couldn't help but let out a small laugh as well. The two quickly descended into awkward silence. Silence that was eventually broken by Harry with words he never thought he would say.

When Harry looks back on this moment he still is unsure why he did it, he blames the post break down exhaustion, but whatever possessed him to speak the words swirling around his head he is grateful.

"I... I mean would you like... could I owl you?" Harry said.

Malfoy stared at him a long time until a small smile broke out over his face. "Yeah. I would like that."

Harry smiled too. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea but he felt that he could speak to the blonde. Who knows, he may make a friend out of Draco Malfoy yet.

WolfWinks -xx-