"Ginny I think someone is moving into the house next door." Harry said from his spot by the window
"That's great Harry. We could invite them to next Saturday's party." Ginny replied
"Oh okay." Harry replied and groaned inwardly; suddenly weary at the thought that one more person would be invited to those suffocating parties. He went back to his desk and continues with what he was doing. He'd recently decided to write his autobiography. Better him than the Prophet considering what happened to Dumbledore. He didn't know how long he'd been writing but the knock on the door jerked him out and back to the present. He heard Ginny calling from the bedroom to ask who it was. He didn't even bother answering her and went to open the door. He threw the door open only to see Malfoy standing there. His shock was evident. And so was Malfoy's. Both men stood staring at each other
-X-
Malfoy stood there and accessed Harry. He'd aged well and as much as he was tempted to break down in tears of joy and relief, he was too shocked to move.
He worked his mouth continuously but nothing came out. He shook his head and just left. So much for saying hi to the neighbors. He'd spent hours reading muggle books about muggle tradition and look where that got him? He was so tempted to call the stupid agent who for some weird reason had found him a house next to the Potters. Rita Skeeter will have a field day.
What unnerved him about the whole thing was the first thought that sprung into his head was that Harry still looked beautiful. Yeah. Beautiful. He had never thought of boy-wonder as beautiful … had he? Why now? God and he thought he was going to have a fresh start. This was going to be very difficult
-X-
"Ginny, I think Malfoy just moved next door" Harry said as he entered their bedroom
"What? Harry dear, why didn't you tell me when you started hallucinating?"She asked seriously. Harry was flabbergasted. He couldn't understand why Ginny would think that, or what could have given her that idea. "Hallucinating?"
"Yes. I know you Miss Malfoy-"
"I don't miss Malfoy!"
"And there's nothing wrong with that." she continued, as if Harry hadn't said anything
"Ginny, I do not miss Malfoy"
"Oh Harry, you do. It's really understandable considering the relationship you guys had"
"I had no relationship whatsoever with Malfoy" Harry couldn't believe they were having this conversation
"You did. No matter how tense and angry it was, the quarrels, hexes, insults as well as competition"
"I wasn't competing with him"
"I know. But he was." she sighed then. "What I mean is, whatever happened between you two, it happened on a daily basis and not having that for four years makes you miss him"
"How can you be so calm about this? Do you even hear what you're saying?"
"Yes I do"
"But Ginny," Harry said calmly "I haven't even thought of him at all"
"Maybe you don't. But you dream about him almost every time. It's quite amusing to hear your conversations"
"What? This is one of your jokes right? It's too expensive so stop it!"
"I'm not joking. You do. Sometime in anger and other times in compassion"
"No no Ginny, you can't be right. I have never felt compassion for that … that man!"Harry knew that was a lie but there was no way he was going to admit that. There was that memory, very vivid, of him returning Malfoy's wand to him. That moment when he'd seen the tears in the boy's eyes and actually felt like comforting him, but then he'd never told anyone about that
"You're Harry Potter, its part of who you are. Besides Malfoy wasn't all that bad and you know it" That silenced him. God, sometimes he hated Ginny. Their sex life may not be great, but she could read him like a book. There was no reason why he should keep arguing with her over Malfoy so instead he said, "I know what I saw Ginny. And it was Malfoy standing on the doorstep when I opened the door and he looked like Neville did in first year when Hermione hexed him."
"What happened then?"She asked, resigned and in a hurry to go back to her sleep.
"I asked him what he was doing here but he apparently didn't hear me. He also seemed to have had no idea that we lived here. I mean what are the chances that Malfoy would move into the house next to ours? Like 1 in a gazillion?"
"Oh don't exaggerate Harry"
"Anyway, he just stood there like that and turned to leave. Of course he went straight into that house in question"
"So that means he's living there?"
"You are in strong denial Ginny." Harry said impatiently
"No. I just find it quite hard to believe"
"He fished for a key from his pocket to open the door. And that'll explain why i didn't see trucks this afternoon. He must have shrunk it or used some other spell"
"Okay Harry, calm down. He's not here to hurt us or he would have done that already. Tomorrow, i'll go over and ask him why he was here ok?"Ginny said and kissed Harry softly. She went back to bed."Don't be long though, okay?"
"Alright" Harry replied and smiled. He closed the bedroom door and suddenly frowned. Somehow, he knew he wasn't going to sleep anytime soon. In fact, he was terrified of sleep."I dream of Malfoy every night. That is very off. Totally wrong." he muttered
He'd have to brew some dreamless sleep before he'd sleep.
