Harry offered Draco a cup of coffee at his home, and Draco found himself unable to refuse. He insisted it was because it was the home of his one relative who had always stood against Voldemort, and he wanted to see where that man had lived. He refused to admit, even to himself, that the man he was more interested in was the one walking beside him.

"Can I ask what you've been up to lately Harry?" he asked, hoping to find a topic that made neither of them too uncomfortable. He knew for a fact that there would be a lot of things one or both of them would not want to discuss. The war may have been finished, but a lot of people were still fighting the demons in their souls.

Harry blushed slightly. "You know that safe haven for reformed Death Eaters that just kind of appeared?" he asked quietly, once again shoving his hands into his pockets. Draco hoped that one day Harry would be able to talk about himself with some pride. He seemed so ashamed and embarrassed of the things he could do.

For a moment, Draco's heart dropped. There were people protesting that place, violently so. "You've been protesting?" he guessed in a whisper.

Harry's eyes widened in horror. "No! God no! I know some of the people who are protesting though…and they know how Death Eaters lay out their protections spells and such. I…may have broken in and laid out my own wards. They won't think to try breaking wards used to protect the boy who lived." His tone was sarcastic when he spoke hi unofficial title and Draco started to see just how much Harry despised it all.

"You've been providing protection to Death Eaters?" Draco asked in wonder. Harry had never seemed the forgiving sort, but then he realised it had been more from the influence of his friends than his own personal animosity. Not to mention that he couldn't afford to forgive anyone after they aligned themselves with Voldemort.

"Reformed Death Eaters." Harry corrected absentmindedly, opening the door to his home. The way he defended them without thinking about it made Draco's shoulders feel lighter, like he did actually deserve the second chance he had been given. If Harry could see fit to forgive those who had been willing Death Eaters, at least during the war, then surely he would forgive Draco too?

"Master Harry? Shall I prepare supper?" a gravelly voice asked from the shadows, shocking Draco. He knew for a fact that Hermione was firmly against house elves. How had Harry avoided a scolding from the woman, with a house elf in his own home?

"No, thank you Kreacher. I'll cook tonight. Would you like me to make anything for you?" Harry asked, not even wasting the time to try to figure out where the elf was.

Kreacher shuffled into the light, stunning Harry. It was rare for the house elf to show himself when there were others about. He was comfortable with Harry, but not so much with anyone else. "If you have no need of me this evening, may I visit with the others?"

Harry smiled. "Of course, you know you can." Before the elf could disappear, Harry pointed to a hook that had been added to the bottom of the coat rack. "Do not forget your coat this time. I don't want you getting arrested again. They broke your fingers last time." He grimaced at the memory. Harry didn't mind bailing the house elf out of jail, but he did hate the injuries that always seemed to come with him.

When Kreacher had disappeared, with his coat, Draco turned to Harry with obvious curiosity. "What on earth have you done this time Harry?"

"I offered him full freedom, but he's been in the family for god knows how long and didn't want freedom. We came to a compromise. He can live as he likes, as long as he takes his coat when he goes out. He helps as much or as little as he wants, though normally that is much more than I'm used to."

Harry wandered through the house, sidestepping furniture as it dove in front of him or between his feet. Draco was curious, but judging by the fact Harry had allowed such inconvenient spells to remain hinted that they had been created by dead loved ones. Another topic would surely be better.

"Where did Kreacher go?" he truly was curios. A house elf who refused to be freed, but had people to visit as well.

"He visits other house elves, those who haven't been freed yet, and tells them about the war. About Dobby; about the fact that there is a house elf out there with a stone marked grave." Harry mumbled that like he was ashamed.

Draco sat on a rickety wooden stool when Harry indicated they would be in the kitchen a while. "Why do you sound ashamed of that? A grave for a house elf isn't heard of, that's a big deal Harry."

A fire burst to life in the fireplace as Harry's shoulders tensed. "Another person lying in a grave that should have been mine? Do you have any idea how many people are dead just so I can stand here?"

Draco was speechless for a moment. The grief weighed Harry's words, and laced his magic that Draco could feel it trying to smother him. What must it feel like to Harry? "No, I don't know it from your angle. Why don't you sit down and tell me? It's obviously eating you up inside, you need to talk about it Harry."

Over Harry's shoulder Draco could see the kitchen coming to life, preparing dinner. "Thanks Draco, but maybe another time?"

Draco nodded in acceptance. "In that case, can I ask you about the fact you've been doing wandless magic all afternoon?" he hoped this was finally a subject that wouldn't be painful. Considering their past, he didn't want their first peaceful time together to be painful for Harry.

"I could always do wandless magic. It was just one of the things I heard about in time to not let on about it. I wasn't so lucky with the whole parsel-tongue thing. By the time I found out it was strange it was too late." He shrugged his shoulders. "I was already a freak; I didn't need to be adding to it every five minutes."

Draco frowned, trying to understand what was different now. "So…now that you're out of school you're happy for people to know about it?"

Harry shook his head. "I still use my wand, when people are going to realise I'm doing magic. Fred and George know about it, and now you." He smiled apologetically. "Wasn't quite thinking properly when I cloaked us this afternoon and…" he glanced around "This is home. This is where I am myself regardless."

Draco nodded in understanding. To be allowed into Harry's home was to be given permission to see him as he truly was. "So Ron and Hermione know about it too then?" he guessed easily. He couldn't see Harry keeping much from those two.

A grimace quickly hidden while he fiddled with his fringe to hide his scar; it had become a nervous habit to hide the scar when he was younger and now he couldn't shake it. "No…they don't know about it. Hermione would want to…study me, not to mention the people she would want to tell so they can study me too. Ron would just get jealous. Then they would both be spitting mad because I kept it from them."

"But…you let me see…" Draco didn't understand. Sure, he had helped Harry earlier, but how did he know he could be trusted.

Harry smiled at him. "Come on Draco. You either get shitty about something, which means you'll take it into your own hands, or you accept things." A knife flew out of the knife block, on course for Harry's head. Draco stared in shock while Harry merely ducked it. He smiled sadly at Draco. "The enchanted items aren't as crazy as you might think. They were all like that when I inherited the place from Sirious. I couldn't…couldn't bring myself to remove his magic."

x x x

Draco leant back from the table, pushing his empty plate away with a satisfied sigh. "That was excellent, thank you Harry. When did you learn to cook? I don't recall any classes at school…"

Harry shrugged, enchanting the dishes to clean themselves up. "I've been cooking since I could reach the bench. Courtesy of being raised by muggle relatives who didn't want me. Hated it at the time, but I quite like cooking now. Might have something to do with the fact that I actually get to eat it now." He glanced at a clock and blushed. "I've stolen more than half of your day already, but if you've nothing planned we could start trying to create an incognito spell for you…"