Chapter Six
Harry, Hermione and the other two Weasleys left the Gryffindor Common Room together, after lunch on the first day of Winter Break. Professor McGonagall had thought it better for them to go to Grimmauld Place through the fireplace in her office, rather than let them ride the Hogwarts express, and they'd decided to meet in front of her office that afternoon. Luna Lovegood was also coming along, since she and Ginny had gotten back together and the blonde's dad was travelling through north Russia, doing research for the Quibbler. Sometimes Harry seriously doubted the Lovegoods knew they were at war.
The four of them chatted excitedly as they walked down the hall, and if not for a rather random comment on Christmas pixies, they wouldn't really have noticed the blonde had caught up with them. But they all noticed very well another blond waiting for them with a large suitcase by the door. Ron practically squealed in shock, Ginny stopped waking, making Luna collide against her and Hermione looked at Harry with her eyes wide open. The boy, on the other hand, smiled while he waved at the Slytherin, running a few steps ahead.
"I'm glad you're really here."
"You're the only one." Draco tilted his head towards the others, with a sarcastic smile.
"Well... I was hoping you'd be as well." He couldn't help smiling at the look that comment got him. "Ready to go?"
"Ready as I'll be."
Harry put one hand on the doorknob and turned to his other friends. "Shall we, guys?"
Neither Weasley could move, still shocked, and the other two girls had to literally pull them into the room while Harry held the door open. After a few last-minute advices and a slight frown at Harry's choice of guests, Professor McGonagall sent them off one by one. Harry decided to go last, to make sure Draco wouldn't somehow be prevented from coming. When he landed at his house - his home -, the blond was already trying to run away to his room, which wasn't very easy with one too many redheads in the room plus all the Order members off-duty.
He also noticed that, while Draco tried to get away, the silver-grey eyes were going though the room, looking for someone in particular. He smiled and tried to follow the Slytherin's eyes, but both of them were disappointed to see whoever it was, wasn't there. Well, at least now Harry knew who it wasn't, and that was better than nothing. He was positive that, by the end of the holiday, he'd have it figured out.
That day, except for the blond boy, who was being ignored - and happily so -, they spent the day catching up excitedly, and when they realized it, it was already dinner time, and more and more people cramped the house. They were already at the table and eating when Draco entered the room like a king - even if Harry was the only one to pay him some attention. Which also meant he was the only one to see the poorly hidden smile that formed in his lips when his eyes met a particular person on the table. And Harry himself couldn't help smiling. Now that would be an interesting couple.
"Hey, Draco?" Harry called in the dark, later that night. The two of them were sharing a room. Not that the Slytherin or the other Griffindors had agreed to it.
"What, Potter?"
"I know who it is." Harry wished he could see the blond's face. He was sure the other was blushing.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"I know you do."
"Shut up, Potter. I want to sleep."
"Have you talked to him yet?"
"If you don't shut up, I'll hex you, I swear."
"Okay, okay! I just thought-"
"Rictumsempra!" Harry started laughing uncontrollably, and the other only cut him loose when he didn't have any breath left. "Told you. Next time, you'll be thrown out of the room. Now sleep."
Harry took a few minutes to calm down. "Good night to you too, Draco."
Hermione was in the room next door; she'd chosen to share the space with Ron rather than be the third wheel in the room with the other two girls. The redhead on the bed beside her was already sound asleep, but she could hear the muffled voices from the boys in the other room. And anyone else awake on that floor would've heard Harry's laughter, costly contained after a few minutes. She wondered what was going on between the boys. Something didn't seem right, and she was determined to find out what.
Harry woke up late the following morning, and spent long minutes in bed stretching before realizing he was alone in the room. After his morning routine, he went downstairs for breakfast and heard the younger girls laughing in the living room. Curious, he peeked through the opened door and found them putting up the Christmas decorations. They smiled at him when they saw the boy, and he smiled back.
"You want to help us, Harry?" Ginny offered.
"It's fun!" Luna's eyes were dreamy as usual. He wondered if she could ever focus on anything, and the conclusion he reached made him blush.
"I- Maybe after breakfast?"
"Well, hurry up or we'll be done before you come back!" The redhead giggled.
"Yeah. Hey, have you seen the others?"
"They're in the library."
"And Draco?"
"In the library."
Harry raised an eyebrow before shrugging and going to the kitchen, where the table was still set for one. There was no sign of Mrs. Weasley; she'd probably gone back to the Burrow or was out running errands. As the main member of the Order without a formal job, she was in charge of making sure things ran smoothly in the house and behind the scenes. She was always back to feed them and to check on them, but now there wasn't any heavy house work to be done and the war entered its most critical stage, it wasn't rare, even back during Summer Vacations, for the kids to find themselves alone in the place.
He meant to go check on his friends and make sure they weren't killing each other, but other than the girls' joyful sounds, the place was quiet. He decided, instead, to help Ginny and Luna, and despite the sometimes dubious content of their conversations, it was a very productive morning. The three of them had been working together on the DA, but didn't have many chances to talk other than at the meetings. Harry was glad to find out none of them held grudges against him for his relationship with the youngest Weasley, nor the way he'd broken up with her.
At Hermione's insistence, they began working on their homework, and much to the Gryffindor boys' surprise, they were done in a matter of days. As the house was still the Headquarters of the Order - even though that meant Snape would still have access to it, but Harry was sure somehow Dumbledore and McGonagall had managed to make them believe the Potions Master wouldn't show up -, members were always popping around for a snack or to take a nap. Occasionally, they'd have enough time to talk to kids, and Harry loved the times he got to just sit by the fire and spend some time with the younger members.
He was particularly fond of Remus, who had only been around for longer than five minutes to fill his stomach a couple of times. Harry was always delighted to listen to how the plans were progressing well in his werewolf pack, and he admired all the former teacher had to go through to change the game in their favor. It was rare for him to have an adult he trusted, and he felt relieved being able to talk to the older man.
It was after one of these visits, which happened about an hour after they had finished dinner, that Harry decided to stay up and wait for Draco, who had disappeared since the guests had arrived. Remus had been the first, followed shortly by Charlie, back from one of his recruiting missions, Lee Jordan, who was hoping he'd catch up with his best friends, the Weasley twins, and Oliver Wood who, despite still being a part of the Quidditch team officially, now that the Cup was cancelled, had recruited some of Hogwarts former students he'd kept in touch with to fight by their side.
Harry was particularly tired that day, and when he went up to his room, they were all still around. He seriously considered leaving his friendly confrontation of his roommate for another day, until he entered the room and smelled the traces of a very refined cologne. The Slytherin had hoped - or maybe even expected - something to happen that night. The chance was too good to waste. He was already in bed for over two hours when the blond came into their room and, believing the boy was asleep, didn't bother to hide the largest smile he could give.
"Something good happened, Draco?"
"You're still awake." The Slytherin didn't bother hiding his feelings. He knew he couldn't if he wanted to. "Early Christmas present." He said as he got undressed. The Slytherin had the curious habit of sleeping only in his underwear, no matter how cold it was.
"Care to share?"
"It's private, Potter. Don't count on me to feed your little teenage fantasies. Good night." He got under the covers and turned his back at Harry.
"Don't be such an ass, Draco. I'd say, by the looks of it, that you finally talked to him. And I dare say things went well for you."
"You'd have to be thicker than a troll not to notice that, if you really know who we're talking about here."
"Of course I know. And you know what? I'm glad you two got together."
"Who said anything about getting together? This is a war, Potter, in case you have forgotten. The worst thing we could do right now would be to get attached."
"And you think you can fool me with that smile?"
"It's dark and you're imagining things. And if you're done with your interrogation, I'd like to sleep. It's late already."
"You look more beautiful when you smile." Harry said quietly. "I hope he can make you smile more often. You deserve it." He stayed quiet for a few moments, waiting for an answer that never came. "Good night, Draco."
"Night, Potter."
On Christmas Day, Harry woke up early out of habit, and even though his first thought was the presents that might be waiting for him under the tree, he quickly pushed that away. None of them had time to think about such things; they'd have to wait until the war was over. He was just glad he'd get to see the whole Order reunited, maybe for the last time before the confrontations begun.
"It's too early to be up, Potter." Draco mumbled from his bed, covering his head with the pillow. The curtains were closed, but they didn't provide much protection from the light coming inside the room.
"Go back to sleep, then."
"I can't. You're being too noisy."
"Me?" He pretended to be offended. "I've barely moved since I woke up. You're the one snoring and keeping us awake."
"I don't snore, Potter." Draco sent a killer look at the other boy, though his mood was probably more affected by the time of the day than by the joke. "And what are you, five? Woke up early to see if Santa brought you a gift?"
Harry laughed easily. "I used to have to wake up particularly early on Christmas Day. To get all the food ready for the Dursleys. Never lost that habit." He sat leaning his back on the headboard. "I don't expect any gifts this year. Too much going on. We can do that once the war is over."
"Could you be more of a Gryffindor, Potter?" Draco rubbed his eyes and Harry watched as the blond pointed his wand at his bag and a little package flew to his hand. "Get it, Potter. Merry Christmas."
With a big smile on his face, Harry caught the package thrown at him and eagerly opened it. It contained a small box and, inside it, a golden snitch miniature pendant hanging on a string of the same color. Its wings moved agitatedly, as if it were the real thing and was trying to escape. "It's beautiful, Draco. Thank you. You didn't have to."
"I want you to always remember me. And how much better than you I am." They smiled at each other. "There aren't any spells on it or anything. I tested. I bought it a couple of years ago in a shop in Paris, when I managed to escape Lucius's vigilance. I liked it a lot, but couldn't quite figure out what to do with it. It didn't seem right around my neck. But I think it'll suit you, even if you don't play it anymore."
Harry smiled again, and immediately put it on. The little golden ball shone in contrast with his black pyjama top. "I'm sorry, I didn't get you anything."
"Did you hear me when I said I didn't get it for you? I just happened to have it around. And you looked like an abandoned dog when you said you wouldn't get gifts this year."
"I'll wear it, I promise."
"You're making it sound like it's a romantic gift. It's not, so cut it out because it's freaking me out. And actually, you shouldn't wear it. I'm sure your friends will run a thousand tests and ruin it just to make sure that, since it came from me, there's nothing hidden in it."
"I suppose you have a point." He took the object off and put it away carefully. "But I'll take good care of it."
"You better. Or I'll make you pay every last Knut it's worth." They laughed easily.
"I'll get up now, and let you go back to sleep." The boy stood on his feet and grabbed a change of clothes and a toothbrush before leaving. The door was almost closed when he stuck his head back in. "Merry Christmas, Draco."
Molly had prepared quite the feast for them, and guests came and went during the whole day. All the Weasleys were reunited under the same roof for the first time since Percy had deserted them for the Ministry and, to celebrate, the twins brought an enormous amount of alcoholic beverages. Both Fred and George ended up drunk and passing out on the couch, and only left the following morning, already late for work. Some of the Hogwarts staff also showed up, and they all made an extra effort to avoid, if only for that day, to talk about the war.
Draco only came down in the middle of the afternoon, and Harry couldn't believe someone could sleep so much. But he looked impeccable - he knew who would be there that day, and apparently, also knew when, because his boyfriend arrived just a few minutes after the blond had joined them. They hadn't told anybody anything yet, but to Harry, it was impossible to look at those two sitting at the table and not notice.
As much fun as he was having, and as busy as his days had been, Harry started to miss his lessons with Snape. He hated the man, there was no doubt about that, but what they shared was so intense and so powerful, it was almost like a drug. The nights seemed empty and long without practices, and he wished he could go back to school soon.
New Year's was celebrated much more modestly, with only a few people in the house. On the eve, there had been several Death Eaters' attacks all around the country, and the Order did what they could to aid the Aurors. Most of the Ministry had fallen under Voldemort's hands, but luckily that division hadn't, and they'd practically declared independence from the central administration, relying on the Order to remain together.
Upset with the news, Harry recovered one half-empty bottle of Firewhisky he'd hidden in the house and went to the roof, which had quickly become one of his favorite places there. He'd only been watching the sky for a few minutes when Draco joined him. They remained quiet for long minutes, just passing the bottle back and forth, before the blond spoke.
"He didn't come."
"I noticed. I'm sorry."
"He couldn't have, after all this."
"It must be hard for you." Harry turned his head towards Draco, who had his eyes firmly fixed on the sky, trying to hold back a tear.
"It shouldn't be. I shouldn't care."
"It's okay to care for other people, Draco."
"I never knew it could hurt so much. And not knowing anything... What if he's dead? What if-"
"I'm pretty sure he's fine. Remus is more than capable of taking care of himself."
"But he was in the middle of those monsters-"
"Do you think he's a monster? Because he's a werewolf?"
"No! Of course not!"
"They why are the others?"
"I-" Draco had never thought of that. He'd just been too scared of what might've happened to care about details. "Well, technically, you could say everybody on that side is a monster." They attempted a smile, but failed. "It would be the last time we'd meet before the war. And why should I believe we'll both survive it? I don't want to foster false hope, just to be broken hearted afterwards."
"Knowing Remus, he would have to like you an awful lot to take the chance to be with you. So I'm sure he'll find a way to talk to you before we have to go back to Hogwarts."
"I wish. But it could blow his cover. And then-"
"Stop thinking the worst will happen! It'll be fine, you'll see."
"I'm not a bloody Gryffindor, Potter. I can't be optimistic like that."
"You should try."
"Just hand me that bottle. I want to forget I care."
They both finished the whisky remaining, but didn't get as drunk as they would've liked. It was enough, however, for them to fall asleep out in the roof, and have decent headaches when the sun woke them up bright and early. Swearing under his breath every name on the book, Draco went back inside first, and fell into his bed for a few more hours. Harry, on the other hand, went searching for a potion that could help, and something to calm down his raging stomach.
The following night, Draco went to bed early, and when Harry retired for the night, the blond was already sound asleep. It must've been around two in the morning when low noises woke him up and, grabbing firmly his wand under his pillow, he turned around as quietly as he could, ready to attack. What he saw, however, was completely different. Remus was sitting on the edge of the Slytherin's bed, who had his face buried on the werewolf's neck and held on to him as tightly as he could. Draco had really been scared for his lover. A few minutes later, the two of them left the room and Harry fell back asleep with a smile on his face.
When the time came for them to return to school, they were all more or less excited about it, but certainly more than they'd been all the previous years. Everybody looked forward to the DA meetings, and the four seventh-year students still had one Horcrux to find and destroy. To top it all up, Snape had promised what seemed to be some really interesting lessons for the following meetings. On the other hand, all of them also knew that, with every day gone by, the closer the final battle was. And that perspective scared everybody, no exceptions.