"Bye! Bye! Blackbird."
Draco called to the skies as the bird he'd just finished nursing back to health flew away, likely never to return.
There were more birds to heal afterall, and Draco would never tire of it but only the birds with black feathers ever got a farewell shouted after them.
Even the swans only got a shout if they were black swans. Always the same farewell. "Bye! Bye! Blackbird."
It was his way of saying goodbye to someone who never let him to do it. The raven-haired, emerald-eyed, saviour who hated goodbyes, always preferring a "See you soon Harry." And "Hello Blackbird" if Draco ever got away with the nickname in their short lived friendship of eighth year.
Birds had been their inside joke after trying to describe each other in only similies and metaphors. Draco had gotten swans kingfishers, and magpies as the birds of Harry's description of him, although there were other animals and objects in there. In return Harry had become a raven, an eagle and a robin in Draco's description of him.
Draco hadn't seen Harry since the train ride home from Hogwarts for the last time ever. Nobody had from what Hermione had told him the last time they chatted, so Draco shared the goodbye Potter never allowed with the birds, needing some thin connection to the friend he had almost fallen for, however weak it appeared to the rest of the world.
"Hello Swan." The voice came from behind him, but Draco couldn't turn around to see whoever had now stolen that name Harry had given him.
"I've been in the muggle world learning some very interesting things about how illegal the political system in the wizarding world is, but could use your help moving the changes through it now." The voice continued as though it had expected his response.
"I deal with birds not politics." Draco finally said once silence had hung between them for a while.
The person chuckled. "So that's why I've had any bird with black feathers landing on my shoulder, tugging my hair, then disappearing, is it, Swan? To say the goodbye for you since I never let you say the words, because I knew I'd come back."
Draco took a deep breath, slowly turning around, braced for disappointment with his eyes shut. "I didn't think they would actually do that for me."
"The black swans didn't, they attacked, quite badly sometimes, but the rest did. Look, here's the last one you called after come to find me for you."
Draco's eyes opened, darting to the sky, even as he registered it was the real Harry Potter stood in front of him. There he was, the latest blackbird, flying down to land on the originals shoulder. "Hello, Blackbird." He said, half whispering and not sure if he was addressing the man or the bird.
He repeated it louder anyway.
"Hello Blackbird."
