Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling. This story is merely my way of saluting her. I do not own any of these characters; I just manipulate their thoughts.

A/N: So I was writing Say and I thought, "What would Draco do if he had more than ten minutes?" I decided to give him –

"Six months."

Draco let out a defeated sigh and a sad smirk. "Six months…" he echoed. "Bound to happen, right?"

Theo hesitated for a moment before placing a firm hand on Draco's shoulder. "It's plenty of time," he said.

Draco shook his head and asked, "For what?"

Theo smiled wanly. "To live."

"To live…"

"To change things."

Draco looked up at this, his strained eyes meeting Theo's sympathetic ones. He swallowed painfully, nodding at his friend and doctor to continue.

"Because now your time is all you have. And now you are going to make the most of it. You are going to do the things you've only ever dreamed of doing. You're going to live." Theo gave Draco's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "First step's always the hardest."

Draco raised his fist for a few seconds before letting out a ragged breath and dropping his hand to his side. He rolled his eyes at his nerves and shook his arms free. He inhaled forcefully to prepare himself. Before he could second-guess his decision, he brought up his fist again and knocked twice. He quickly stuffed his hands into his pockets uncomfortably, scuffing his shoes against the steps. His eyes ran up the large, familiar double doors. Stark white stone gleamed in the sun. This had been his home for most of his life. Before his eyes could roam much further, the doors opened slowly.

Narcissa blinked at Draco with uncertainty. "D – Draco?" Draco gave a weak smile and shrugged. "Wh – what – oh god, Draco!" Narcissa stumbled to her son and grasped him in tight arms. Draco gritted his teeth at the guilt that was now gnawing at him. He held his sobbing mother in his arms, feeling her relief coursing through him. First step's always the hardest.

"I love you, Mum."

Narcissa gripped Draco's shirt as her emotions overpowered her. "I love you too. I love you so much, Draco," she cried. "I'm so sorry for everything." She pulled away frantically and placed her hands against Draco's cheeks. "I'm sorry and I love you," she said in her strangled tone. She placed kisses anywhere she could. Draco felt tears running down his face. She hugged him close again, her sobs dying down to gasps. "Thank you for coming back…"

"How's my favorite sissy banker doing?"

Blaise scowled down at his parchment. "Sissy banker, my –" He broke off, his jaw dropping open. He shot up from his chair and whipped around. "Y – you?"

Draco smirked derisively. "Yeah, me."

"What the hell?"

The blond rubbed the back of his neck. "Um… I –"

"Sissy banker, my arse!" Blaise laughed incredulously, dragging Draco into a bone-crushing hug. "Hell, Draco! Scared the fuck out of me!" Draco's cheeks hurt from the grin that refused to go away. "I'm supposed to be so pissed at you!" Blaise chuckled.

"Glad you aren't."

"What are you doing here?" he asked, holding Draco away at an arm's length. "Looking hot as ever, I might add."

"Still not into you," Draco said with a slight smile.

"Pity," Blaise winked. "So…"

"So…"

Blaise chuckled and hugged Draco again. "Fuck, don't wait five years to show up again," he exclaimed.

"Won't be getting rid of me anytime soon," Draco murmured.

"Um… Please tell me this is a bloody good joke."

Draco's eyes sparkled with wickedness. "No joke."

Pansy groaned as she dropped the pamphlet. "No way in hell!"

"What? I'm not asking you to do it!"

She shoved the brochure towards Blaise's curious eyes. The curiousness was soon dissolved into horror and amusement. "What the fuck? You got maimed by one of these!"

"I may have overreacted," Draco said nonchalantly. "It's just a hippogriff."

"Panse, talk some sense into him," Blaise said, shaking his head at Draco in disapproval and mild appraisal.

"Let me tell you the many reasons to not do this."

"And I'll tell you the one reason I want to do this."

Pansy sighed and slapped her hands on the table. "Fine. Tell me why you want to do this."

"If Potter can do it, why can't I?"

"I can't believe you didn't talk some sense into me!" Draco hissed as he pulled Pansy aside.

Pansy threw her hands up in defeat. "I'm done with you, Malfoy," she muttered, walking away.

Before he could protest any further, his name was called. He groaned in response. He was ushered into the pen by one of the keepers. "First time?" she asked, noting Draco's pallid face and horrified expression. He shook his head curtly as he wiped his sweaty palms against his jeans.

"No big deal, right?" he asked weakly.

"Right."

This no big deal was causing Draco to feel sick in the stomach. It was larger than Buckbeak, with white feathers and a silver fur. Its beak and talons were even more menacing than Draco remembered them to be. It was passively staring back at the spectators, bored at being an attraction in the zoo. The keeper showed Draco the spot to stand in. He fidgeted while she brought the hippogriff closer to him on a large tether.

"His name is Olorin. Few things to watch for," she said, absently stroking the almost purring beast. "Be respectful, not fearful. Try not to blink when you bow. Keep eye contact with him whenever you can. He likes the attention." On cue, the hippogriff snorted in what seemed to be sarcasm. "Ready?"

Draco wanted to shake his head, but his mouth said, "Yeah."

"Bow," she said.

He backed up and slowly let out his breath, bending at the hips as he exhaled. His eyes stared into Olorin's orange irises unsteadily. He couldn't have blinked even if he wanted to. The hippogriff tilted its head and blinked questioningly. Draco stayed bowed, waiting. The beast didn't do much. It contented itself with staring at the man in front of it with mild curiosity.

"Guess not," the keeper said apologetically.

Draco sighed and straightened up. "It's alright," he said tiredly. Just the ordeal of being close to a hippogriff had drained him. He brushed back his hair while trying not to show his disappointment. "Just thought – um… Never mind." He walked backwards as per instruction, keeping an eye on Olorin as he moved away.

"Couldn't do it," he said when he felt Pansy's hand on his back. "Guess you were right…"

"Never thought of you to be a guy who gave up so quickly."

Draco was pushed back into pen before he could respond. Olorin took an amazed step back, as did Draco. The keeper held on to the hippogriff with clenched fists on the rope. Draco's eyes were wide with unhidden terror. The hippogriff trilled lowly and looked at its keeper for a moment. Its eyes quickly snapped back to Draco. He watched breathlessly as Olorin dipped its majestic head at him.

"Um… Okay, then," the keeper said hesitantly. The hippogriff looked at its keeper again. She tugged at the rope twice and Olorin shook its head once. She looked at Draco and shrugged. "I guess he's okay with you," she said.

"Okay with me?" Draco squeaked.

She waved him over. Draco had half the mind to shake his head. Pansy's words mingled with Theo's. He contemplated the hippogriff for a few seconds tensely. "First and last time," he muttered to himself as he took a step towards Olorin. The keeper touched the hippogriff's beak, indicating for Draco to do the same. He took another step forward, staring into the orange eyes with bated breath. He stroked the beak with two fingers, the cold steel sending shivers down his spine. He snatched his fingers away, feeling the twinge of pain from years ago running up his right arm. A low rumbled emitted from Olorin's throat. It shot its head forward and nudged Draco's forearm, trying to lift it. Draco staggered back, his eyes wild. The keeper held the straining hippogriff back.

"I – sorry," she said, glaring at her charge. "He's not usually… He wasn't going to do anything."

Draco held his arm in his left hand as the fear ran its course. He remembered the pain when Buckbeak's talons had ripped his skin and the blood that had seemed to flow uninhibited. He closed his eyes, staving his nausea. "It's fine," he heard himself say faintly.

Soft scuffling caused his eyes to snap open and he found himself staring much too close into Olorin's eyes again. Before he could step back, the hippogriff dropped its heavy head onto his shoulder, soft growls emitting from its throat as before. Draco stood still, bewildered. The beast then spread out its large wings and shaded the sun. He let his eyes rove the glistening feathers. He watched the wingtips curl inwards, towards him. It gently touched his arm for a second before slipping away. The wings fell back into place and the head lifted off of his shoulder. Draco couldn't hear anything except for the beating of his heart and his ragged breath. The hippogriff stepped back.

"Whoa…" the keeper breathed. "That's never happened before either."

"R – right," Draco stammered. "I – I'll just –" he trailed off, backing away out of the holding pen. Olorin gazed at him curiously, snapping its beak and twitching its feathers. Once the gate closed, Draco let out his breath and his knees knocked. Pansy's arm wound around his waist and he leaned on her.

She gaped from Draco's pale and drawn face to the hippogriff's. "What the hell?"

Theo waved his wand over Draco, letting his quill take down the report as he moved from charm to spell. "So, how's it been?" he asked as he glanced at the parchment for a quick second.

Draco blew out a breath in frustration, shifting on the bed and wincing when the magic tugged his chest. "I don't know. I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing…" he said. He closed his eyes and consciously unclenched his fists. Theo mumbled an apology, lowering the amount of power he was throwing at his patient. Draco never used to mind hospital visits. But for the past few years, it's been his second home. And he was starting to hate it with insurmountable passion.

"Hmm…" Theo responded, rifling through the tray on the bedside table and pulling out potions.

It had already been two months. Draco was nearing the bottom of his bucket list by now. He had done everything from traveling around Europe to reconciling with the past. He spent most of his days with friends and books. He knew that each day was precious. And as each day wore on, the dread ate at him. He tried his best to ignore and pretend that nothing was wrong. Even when he was flying past the deep gorges of Nevada and watching the pale sunset, the unsettling feeling in his stomach often caused him to choke up. Even as he visited Hogsmeade with Blaise and Pansy, the nostalgic flutters would frighten him. Draco felt like he was being left behind by life. He felt like he was going to die alone.

Draco was mortified to find tears running towards his hair. He turned away quickly and wiped them on his shoulder. Theo pretended not to notice, busying himself with preparing the vials. "Draco," he said softly, grabbing the blond's attention. "Why haven't you told anybody?"

"They'll worry," Draco answered brokenly, clearing his throat to relieve the emotional lump.

"They need to worry."

Draco shook his head and grabbed the vial handed to him. He took a cleansing breath before downing the potion in one quick swallow without letting it touch his tongue. The coolness spread from his throat to his chest, pushing down the grief. He sighed gratefully, smiling at Theo. His doctor shrugged and said, "Looked like you needed it."

Draco finished the rest of his medications in due course, grimacing as he took the last one. He followed it with a gulp of water. This was the worst part of his weekly visits to the hospital. He couldn't stand the potions. Sometimes he wondered whether it was the potions that were killing him. Rest assured, Theo rolled his eyes every time Draco complained about it. He liked to point out to his patient that the potions were giving him months to live instead of weeks.

"How's the pain?" Theo asked, flicking his hand at the quill to record the words.

"Fine," Draco lied.

Theo looked at him derisively. "Sure it is," he muttered. "Where is it?"

He was met with silence. Theo massaged the back of his neck, trying to release the tension in him. He was trying his best to help Draco but at times like these, he felt like Draco didn't want to be helped.

"You need to tell me," Theo said with his patience ebbing away. "I'm your doctor. I need to know."

"It's nothing," Draco mumbled, sitting upright and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "Just headaches and stuff."

"I need to know the and stuff part of it too."

Draco shrugged on his jacket and smoothed the back of his head. "Arm, shoulder, chest. The usual," he said.

That was the end of Theo's patience. He slashed his wand at Draco, making him sit back down forcefully. "You have no right to keep anything from me," Theo rebuked. "I'm your doctor. I need to know everything."

Draco was feeling the emotional distress in him too. He glared at Theo. "I know how it's going to happen. You know how it's going to happen. Nothing we can do about it," he replied harshly.

"I can help get –"

"They aren't working anymore, okay?" Draco said rapidly.

Theo frowned. "Not – working…" he repeated as his words halted.

Draco felt the fear approach him again, despite his best efforts to stave it. "I've – the pain won't – nothing works anymore," he said vaguely.

"The potions?" Theo asked, his voice slackening.

"Nothing."

"Oh…"

Draco felt the tears pushing into his him. He hated his emotions at that moment. For years, he had been trying to stop his emotions from overwhelming him. His father had taught him that, if not anything else – the one weakness he needed to overcome. The past months were taking its toll on Draco. He found himself tearing up over the most ridiculous things like photographs and old textbooks. But he refused to let himself be beat down by his weaknesses, however demanding they were. He willed his eyes to stay dry as he stared determinedly at the floor. He examined the cold grey tiles and strengthened his resolve. He finally felt the magic lifting off of him, letting him stand up again. Theo's wand hand lay limp by his side. Draco found his doctor looking utterly defeated when he finally looked back up. He mentally swore at himself as he grimaced. "It's alright, Theo," he said in what he hoped was a heartening tone. To his ears, the words sounded fearful. "It's not that bad, honest," he continued, even letting out a small smile for Theo's benefit.

Theo didn't loosen his gaze from Draco. The latter shifted his weight uncomfortably over the inspection. "I – I'll see you later… then," Draco murmured, wanting out of the room immediately. He waited for Theo's response but didn't receive one. He took that as his cue to leave. "Bye."

As he pushed the door open, he heard Theo respond. "You're doing great, Draco."

Draco stilled for a second, letting the mild statement sink in. He gave a curt nod, his back turned to Theo, and shut the door behind him.

The bass reverberated against the soft bodies and filled glasses. Draco nursed his drink, lounging against the smooth leather while watching the men and women dance on the floor. Blaise nudged him and winked cheekily. "You've been drinking that for the past hour. Where's that old Malfoy who knocked down four in half the time?" he asked into Draco's ear, trying to keep the loud music from deterring the question.

Draco snorted and rolled his eyes. "Four drinks and I couldn't remember where my shirt went," he replied.

"Exactly! Have a few more."

Draco swatted his friend but downed the drink nonetheless. His internal counter ticked continually. Might as well enjoy myself while I can. He gingerly took the shot from Blaise and swallowed it with one gulp too. The effects were almost instantaneous. His cheeks flushed from the warmth and his hands wouldn't hold steady. He let out a low whistle. "What the hell was that?" he asked.

"Sugar, spice, and a heck of a lot of vodka," Blaise shouted back with a proud grin on his face. "How is it?"

After gauging his body's reaction for a few seconds, Draco nodded approvingly. "Wow."

"I know, right?"

Blaise opened his mouth to say something but his attention quickly diverted to over Draco's shoulder. Draco felt the couch sinking behind him and a hand on his shoulder. When he turned he found himself looking at a brunette bombshell. Draco quickly whipped his eyes back at Blaise. His friend grinned knowingly and ran his hand across his lips, their private sign for, 'Holy hell, you're getting laid tonight!' Draco blushed as he turned back to look at the smiling woman beside him. "Hey," he said vaguely.

"Don't remember me?" she asked, her voice matching her seductive black dress and tanned skin. Now Draco wondered if he should. His face must've given off his confusion because she laughed quietly and winked at him. She helped him out. "Astoria. Daphne's sister."

Draco heard Blaise mumble an excuse and slip off of the couch, dragging a smirking Pansy along with him onto the dance floor. He had eyes for the woman before him and no one else. "Ast – Astoria?" he asked in bewilderment. This woman looked nothing like Astoria.

"Grew up a bit," she replied to his silent question.

After a few seconds, Draco laughed and nodded. "Guess I haven't! Wow! You're – wow!"

She turned away abashedly, blushing. "Thank you," she said with a close-lipped smile.

"How have you been?"

She looked back at Draco curiously. "Really? You want to know how I've been?" she asked.

He was taken aback by her question. "Er – I – y – yeah, I guess…" he stammered.

Her expression changed to slight amusement. "No, I didn't – it's just that I never – Well, you're Draco Malfoy, for heaven's sake. Never thought you'd ask me… I'm rambling," she stuttered, biting her lip. "I've been great. And you?"

Draco thought through the self-professed rambling he had been privy to. He wondered if he really did come off as cold and distant. He knew he could at times. But that's what made him a Malfoy – his sarcastic disposition. He never realized that people were unaware of his personable side. Watching Astoria get more relaxed led him to think that perhaps he should try to be more approachable from now on. Theo had warned him about isolation. Draco gave Astoria a faint smile. Smiles are good. She smiled back, the look of interest sparking in her. "I've been good," Draco answered. "Want a drink?" he asked, waving his hand at the assortment on the table before him.

"Don't mind if I do," she said, floating her hand over the many glasses as she tried to choose. "Suggestions?"

"That's the one I just had," he said, pointing at the green glass with purple alcohol. "Knocked the wind out of me."

She boldly pulled the glass out and nodded. "Worth a shot," she said and downed the drink with a slight grimace. As she put the glass back on the table with a forceful thud, Draco saw a brilliant grin flash on her face. "Whoa!" she muttered, her voice muted in the loud room. When she looked at Draco, she found expectant eyes. "Yeah, that's something else," she said louder, unable to stop the grin. She leaned towards Draco and captured his lips against hers.

He blinked once at Astoria's forehead before letting his eyes fall shut. He didn't know if it was the alcohol or the kiss, but his whole body was reacting to the woman. Before his hands could reach up and hold her steady, he heard loud whoops and squeals of excitement. He opened his eyes languidly as he felt Astoria's arms looping around him. A gaggle of women were laughing like mad and squirming a few tables away from them. Draco smiled and closed his eyes again. "Friends?" he asked against her lips.

Her giggle rang through Draco's lips. "A bet."

Draco wound his arms around her hips. "Better give them their money's worth then," he murmured as he gently nudged her mouth apart. Astoria gave out a satisfied sigh as Draco tasted the remnants of the sweet alcohol against her tongue.

"One night, nothing more, right?" she asked breathlessly as he pushed her onto the bed.

"Or two nights," he said, his hands traveling across her with desire.

She laughed quietly. "Or two." He once again took her mouth. She clutched his shirt and rolled over, straddling him effectively. She broke the kiss with a harsh bite. As she unbuttoned him, her mouth was planting soft kisses on his strong jaw. "Thought you were gay," she whispered.

He tried to still his racing heart. "Bi," he gasped as she splayed a hand over his chest.

"Hot," she answered in turn.

"Beautiful," he mumbled, moving his head to kiss her gently.

Astoria mumbled awake with Draco's soft fingers tracing her lips. She blinked into the calm grey eyes and smiled. She moved her mouth to capture his fingertips in her mouth. The grey eyes were hooded with passion again. She swirled her tongue against him for a few seconds before releasing him. His fingers lay pressed against her wet lips.

"Best sex I've had," she said candidly, trying to stop another smile from showing.

Draco chuckled endearingly, his arm moving to hug Astoria close to him. As her breath ghosted over his chest, he felt a slight ache. Not the pain he usually feels; that was always present. This ache came from his head and his stomach and his heart. It came from everywhere. He held her close. As the soft light of dawn filtered into his room, he started to wish that he had more time. He wanted time to feel this. He needed all the time in the world to feel this intimate. He wanted to learn to love someone.

Draco stirred the cream into his coffee thoughtfully. "Theo," he said.

Theo looked up from his paper and put down his mug. "Hmm?"

"What's it like being in love?"

Draco saw his friend's eyes glaze over. Instead of answering, Theo asked, "Why do you want to know?"

Draco shrugged. "Just wondering what I'll miss."

Theo looked pained at Draco's simple and honest admission. The slight bustle in the café drowned their silence for couple of minutes. Theo folded up the newspaper and set it down, looking contemplative as though he was sounding his next words out in his head. Draco started at his cinnamon bun with a dwindling appetite. "What else do you think you'll miss?" Theo asked tentatively.

Draco looked confused at this question. "Um… Everything?" he said incredulously.

Theo merely nodded. He took a sip of his coffee and leaned forward. "Being in love is amazing," he said, staring at Draco.

"I need to know more," Draco said, trying not to sound urgent.

"It's amazing because when you're in love, she becomes part of who you are. It's like you aren't living for yourself anymore. There's someone else in your life…"

Draco nodded distractedly, his fingers drumming on the table. "How'd you know you loved Heidi?" he asked.

Theo smiled as he looked through Draco. "Like I said, it felt amazing. She mattered to me. I mean, sure, people have mattered before. But her… I needed to – because she –" he sighed. "I don't know how to explain it. She mattered to me more than anything else."

"Because you aren't alone anymore."

Theo nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes! That's it!" he said quickly. "Like I have someone to live for…"

Draco guffawed at Pansy. "No way am I getting you that. Costs an arm!"

She pouted and looked at Theo and his wife for support. The broom shop was filled with people since it was halfway through the summer and Hogwarts students were ogling potential buys with friends and family. Draco and Pansy were standing in front the display in the centre of the rich store. Beneath the glass box was the broom of Pansy's dreams.

"Who needs a bloody arm when you can have that?" Pansy gushed, her fingers tracing the broom over the display glass. The gleaming red handle tapered to the tan bristles. Black grips were found on one end and silver footholds protruded from the other.

"I'll get you a Nimbus," Draco said dismissively.

Pansy all but stamped her foot. "I want!"

"You can't have."

She shoved him rudely, scowling. He staggered to the side with a laugh. "Use your own – oh." He bumped into someone.

"Sorry."

Draco stumbled away. "My fault," he said impulsively before he could catch himself. He found himself face-to-face with Harry. They stared at each other for a brief moment. Draco saw the instant Harry realized what had happened. The green eyes clouded over.

"Malfoy," Harry nodded curtly, barely opening his mouth to speak.

"Hi."

The green eyes cleared and widened. Draco suddenly became aware of his greeting. Shit! Luckily, or unluckily, before he could stammer out the 'appropriate' greeting, Ginny and Ron appeared behind Harry. The loathing in the Weasleys' eyes was enough to cause Draco to clutch his wand through his jeans instinctively.

"Hey…"

Draco's attention slipped towards Harry again when he heard the soft acknowledgment. He supposed they both had the same shocked look on their faces. It was only when Ginny slipped a hand into Harry's that he noticed her. "Look who I bumped into," he said vaguely, gesturing at Draco with his free hand. Draco saw Harry looking past him and he presumed Pansy was standing none too menacingly beside him.

"Done with the reunion?" she asked tersely, pulling at the hem of Draco's shirt.

"Let's go," Ron muttered, giving the Slytherins a very unhealthy and murderous glare while dragging Harry away.

The two men blinked at each other. Draco saw an apologetic smile flit across Harry lips. He felt an equally empathetic twitch on his mouth. The moment passed and they were hidden amongst other customers. Pansy was fuming beside Draco, swearing colorfully under her breath. Theo and Heidi merely looked uncomfortable. "What?" Draco asked as they exited the shop in a hurry.

"What do you mean what?" Pansy snapped. "Did you see the looks they were giving us?"

Draco knew better than to argue with Pansy. He never won with her. So he let her vent out her anger on the cobblestones. His mind kept flitting back to Harry's uncertain smile and unguarded demeanor. He wondered what it meant. As he dwelt upon it, he started to puzzle over his own thoughts. He knew he wanted to be accepted. He hadn't realized that he had wanted to be accepted by Harry until minutes ago. He hadn't seen Harry for over five years. Their last encounter had been anything but cordial. Harry had saved his life. With a start, Draco realized that he had never thanked Harry for that night. Now he blushed profusely as he berated himself.

The four friends spent the next few hours scouring shops and buying odds and ends as they indulged their impulses. Draco was roped into purchasing Pansy's items and he wasn't sure how. All he knew was that by the end of the evening, he found him with bags of clothes and shoes with an equally shopped-out Theo standing next to him. "Why do we fall for this every single time?" Theo muttered too lowly for Heidi or Pansy to hear. Draco laughed helplessly and shook his head. Thankfully, the women decided to take pity on the men. They dropped onto the inviting seats on the patio of Mootberry Pub. It was fairly busy and the lights were dimming as the sun set across Diagon Alley. Soft laughs and tinkle of cutlery soothed Draco's tired nerves. So he groaned when Theo stood back up and dragged him up as well.

"Order for us, ladies," Theo said. "I need to get new robes."

Draco thought about complaining, but thought better of it since he would rather be in the company of Theo than the women. They weaved around the tables and stepped off of the patio. The alley was nearly empty as most of the shoppers were in diners.

"Long day, huh?" Theo asked, not really expecting a reply. So Draco didn't bother with one. The men entered Madam Malkin's. The familiar smell of robes and cloaks swirled in the air. Customers were either trying on the clothes in front of the assorted mirrors or flicking through the selection scattered around the room. Theo needed St. Mungo's uniformed robes, which were special ordered. He left Draco to fend for himself while he went towards the backroom to find a service clerk. Draco sighed tiredly and sat down on the chair beside the fitting room. He had been to this shop many times over the past years. His father had insisted that he get new robes for every year he was at Hogwarts. The familiarity eased him. He let his head fall back against the wall as he willed his fatigue to not aggravate the throbbing pain on his chest.

He jumped when a loud snap sounded next to his ear. "Bloody hell, Theo! I – oh…" Inevitably, Draco found himself staring up at Harry again. He scrambled to his feet, trying not to flinch at the needle-like shoots of pain on his arm.

"Fancy meeting you here," Harry said faintly.

Draco crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Right…" he replied, his mind running overtime with thoughts of the horrendous things he was going to do to Theo. He also noticed the lack of certain redheads. "No bodyguards?" he asked bluntly.

"Hardly a need for them nowadays," Harry responded, turning away and stepping up on the dais to face the mirror.

Draco noticed the deep green robe with saturated gold trim on the sleeves and hem. "Finally turned Slytherin?" he couldn't help asking.

Harry's eyes flashed towards Draco. A spark shone in them. "Finally turned Auror," he said, pointing at the golden M's above his chest to the right.

Draco's brows shot up. "Already?" he asked.

A slight frown mixed in with Harry's smile. "Been four years," he answered, smoothing the robe with his hands.

The blond shrugged, complacently moving his hands to his pockets. "Thought it took longer."

Harry shook his head, turning to the side and fiddling with his sleeve as he looked at the mirror. "Are you feeling the same horrible déjà vu that I am?" he asked.

"Um… What?" Draco asked.

"You don't remember?"

"Remember what?"

"This is where I first met you."

"Huh?"

Harry seemed to be trying not to laugh at Draco's sudden lack of comprehensible vocabulary. "Gosh, it's been, what, fifteen years?"

"When was this?" Draco asked as he failed at recalling this moment.

"A day or two before first year started. We were buying robes. You were talking a mile a minute. I had no clue what you were saying. You were a prick. Ringing any bells?"

Draco felt indignation growing in him and he scowled at Harry through the mirror. "Whatever," he mumbled, wishing Theo would just hurry up.

Harry smirked. "Still a prick."

Draco gave up on having a civil conversation with Harry. "Takes one to know one," he said scathingly and turned on his heel to walk away. He was stopped short by Harry's laugh.

"Truce?"

Now Draco turned back around and stared at Harry in disbelief. "Seriously?" he asked, gaping at the man before him.

"Sure, what the hell, right?" Harry said, holding out his arm.

Draco now dropped his eyes from Harry's face to his outstretched hand. "Touched in the head, Potter?" he asked without the usual bite. "Shouldn't be seen shaking hands with the wrong sort."

Harry's smile widened into a full-blown grin. "I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said.

Recognition flickered through Draco's mind at the words. His hand reached out on its own accord and grasped Harry's. "You think so?" he asked with growing doubt at Harry's intentions and his own actions.

"Sure."

What's the big deal, right? Draco thought to himself as they shook hands. I'll be gone in months anyways.

Harry looked over Draco's shoulder and let go of his hand. Draco turned to find Theo looking much too smug behind him. "Potter," he greeted, nodding his head at Harry with a vague smile.

"Nott."

Theo turned his attention to Draco. "I'm done. Shall we?" he asked, jerking his head towards the door.

"Yeah," Draco said quickly. He glanced at Harry quickly. "Right, erm… Bye," he said lamely.

"See ya."

It was only when they were clear across the street from the robes shop that Draco took a real breath. "You are much too Slytherin for my liking," he said, gritting his teeth at his friend.

"I know, right?" Theo said gleefully.

A/N:

"WTF, Galadriell? Another story?"

"Well, my precious slaves... This was supposed to be one-shot. I got carried away."

"Will you ever finish it?"

"From the looks of it, yes. Now, get back to work."

"Fine, fine." (That's you begrudgingly reading some more.)

"Also," (That's me rudely interrupting) "Contrary to popular belief, I do like reviews. Hundreds of views and ten reviews? Doesn't add up. Don't get me wrong, these reviews are for purely selfish reasons. It doesn't have to be constructive or anything. They make me feel loved. Love me!" (This is the part when you click the Review this Story hyperlink)

"Sure. Anything for you..."

"That's what I thought." (Cracks whip)