Prompt: Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike.


"How?" Ron asked. "After everything Malfoy's done to you?"

It was such a Ron question, Harry should've been prepared for it.


"Happy Birthday, Draco," his mother said with her too-bright smile. It told Draco his father wouldn't be there, again.

Sighing, he slouched down in his chair. "He promised."

"I know." Her expression became honest. "But, I'm here, and we'll spend the entire day together."

He rolled his eyes—still angry at his father—and looked up to see the hurt briefly cross her face. His stomach dropped before he sat up straight.

"I'm sorry, mother," Draco said. "Of course, I'd love to spend my birthday with you; it's our day, after all."

She accepted his hand with a smile, but Draco knew the damage was done.


"Happy Birthday, Harry," Harry whispered to himself for that was the only way he'd get to hear the words.


"What's this?" Harry poked the box Malfoy had laid atop the Auror files Harry was reading.

Draco smirked. "It's your birthday, isn't it?"

He picked up the package, surprised it hadn't exploded on him, and unwrapped it. The Unofficial Biography of Harry Potter by Rita Skeeter. Harry smiled opening the front cover, even the inscription—I still hate you—couldn't sour his mood.

Draco Malfoy had bought him a birthday present.


It was such a Ron question, Harry should have been prepared.

"He never hurt me," Harry explained. "He tried, but cared too much about me to ever hurt me."

The scandalised expression on Ron's face made Harry laugh.

"He could have torn me apart. At Madam Malkin's, he could have looked right at me in my cousin's hand-me-down-clothes, judged me, and then pretended I wasn't there. Could have never introduced himself to me. Watched the Snitch during Quidditch games. He could have placed me so beneath his notice that I might as well have not existed to him. But he never did."