A Life of Lies
Chapter 7 - Strange Friendships
A/N - SUMMER HOLIDAYS YAAAY!
Okay, now that's out of the way… onto the story!
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing!
The first month at Hogwarts had flown by and before Harry knew it he realised it was the first weekend of October and with that of course came the first Hogsmeade weekend.
Harry went to Hogsmeade late on Friday night to meet Lily and Ginny but to his surprise he found Draco waiting by the apparation point. Ever since his feelings of jealousy had arisen two weeks earlier he had tried to act normal around Draco but he sensed that Draco knew something was wrong.
Harry smiled a little awkwardly at Draco, "Waiting for someone?" He asked.
Draco nodded, returning the smile, "Astoria and the girls, are you here for Ginny and Lily?"
Harry nodded, not looking Draco in the eye, the blonde man said, "They'll arrive together."
Harry frowned, "Why?" He asked, he hadn't been aware of this.
Draco replied, "They went out for dinner together before coming to Hogwarts." He explained, he sounded a little surprised that Harry didn't know but Ginny hadn't mentioned anything to him,
"They're friends?" Harry asked, that was a friendship he hadn't anticipated.
"Yeah, I thought it was a little weird at first too, but what can we do about it?" Draco asked, Harry knew it was a rhetorical question so he just nodded, deep in thought, why had his wife neglected to tell him of this friendship?
His thoughts were interrupted by the apparation point whirring, the two men took a step back and in the blink of an eye both of their wives and children were standing before them.
Harry controlled the feeling that tightened in his stomach when Astoria greeted Draco with a kiss and instead kissed his own wife lightly on the lips and lifted his daughter up onto his shoulders.
"I didn't know you two were friends." Harry said lightly to Ginny and Astoria. His wife smiled at him, "Oh we're new friends." She explained, "But the girls get on so well that it would be a shame to not be friends."
Draco and Harry shared a look of bemusement and Astoria said, "And we do have a lot in common." She and Ginny shared an amused glance and chuckled.
It was an obvious dig at Harry and Draco but both men rose above it, they weren't' going to get into an argument like the one that was coming in front of their children.
The two families walked up to the castle, Neve and Kathy running ahead, Lily on Harry's shoulders and the two women talking and laughing behind the two men. Harry and Draco felt more awkward than ever during this short walk that felt 10 times longer than usual.
Eventually they reached the castle but Draco's rooms were just around the corner from Harry's so the awkward walk went on for even longer, to distract himself Harry talked to Lily, "How was your week Lils?"
Lily smiled from her spot on her Father's shoulders, "It was great Dad. I played with Neve and Kathy loads."
So much for avoiding talk of Draco, Harry thought miserably, "Oh that's good Lily." He simply said, somehow Harry and Draco had ended up walking behind their wife's, Harry put Lily down and let her run ahead to catch up with Draco's kids.
"This is more than a little weird." Harry said to Draco as the two women were immersed in conversation.
"I know." Draco muttered to Harry, his eyes widened, "You don't think their…you know…" He trailed off and Harry frowned, "Doing what we did." Draco hissed.
Harry realised with a jolt what he meant, "Oh!" He thought about it for a moment and glanced at them, "No…I mean…No, definitely not." He said on a finishing note.
Draco was still watching their backs suspiciously, "We should ask them." He said, and Harry agreed immediately, "Tonight."
Draco reached his rooms first and they all said goodbye, when Harry reached his rooms Lily went straight in to her room to get changed for bed since it was late and Harry seized this opportunity to talk to Ginny.
Awkwardly Harry said, "So Gin, Draco and I realised that your friendship with Astoria looks alike my friendship with Draco from 10 years ago." His attempt at casual failed miserably.
Ginny gaped at him for a moment before bursting out laughing, "You think we're sleeping with each other?" She asked through her laughter, "That's funny." She said and she walked to the door of their quarters, Harry frowned about to ask her where she was going when the portrait slid open revealing Astoria killing herself laughing.
"Draco thought we were sleeping together." Astoria said as she choked back laughter, Ginny only laughed more, "So did Harry." She said as they walked away down the corridor together. Harry stood and watched them go with no idea what was happening, "This is really weird." Draco said slowly from the other end of the hall.
Harry nodded his agreement, he believed Ginny that nothing was going on but the fact it was just friendship made it even weirder, and even more awkward, Harry and Draco were struggling as it was, the last thing that they needed was for their wives to be best friends…
The next day as the two families sat in the great hall for breakfast the awkwardness was turned up a notch.
Severus narrowed his eyes suspiciously when Astoria and Ginny sat next to each other in the seats between him and Luna, he'd never seen them talking before. His eyes narrowed further when he saw Lily, Neve and Kathy all sitting at a small table just behind the head table eating and talking together. Harry who was sitting on his other side just shrugged at him.
Severus moved closer to the boy who lived and asked, "What the hell is going on?"
Harry shook his head, "I have no idea. My wife is best friends with my ex…" He trailed off and Severus filled in, "Lover?"
Harry sighed, "That will do, ex lovers wife, and our children are the best of friends. This is beyond weird for me." He admitted to the older man.
"I can see why." Severus said, and he glanced at the two women for a second time. Astoria noticed the glance this time and smiled at Severus, "What's wrong Severus? Is it odd to you that the wives of the fling you kept secret 10 years ago are friends?"
Draco and Harry both choked on their food at this, everyone along the head table heard it and some of the pupils sitting near the front of the hall too. "Astoria!" Draco hissed, but Astoria just smiled at her husband, "Sorry Draco, I forget that my voice carries." She said as she left the hall.
Ginny bit her lip, "Sorry Harry, I didn't ask her to do that." She said, kissing him on the cheek, "I'm taking Lily to Diagon Alley to get a new broom, her coach thinks she's ready for a teen broom now."
Harry nodded, and stood, "I'll come too." He said, and he, Ginny and Lily walked past Draco without a word as the other teachers watched them leave with realisation in their eyes. It hadn't made sense to them, all the awkwardness and anger between he and Draco that had quickly become friendship and had then become awkward again. It made sense to them all now, all but Severus of course who had known the full story along.
Ginny and Harry were different from Astoria and Draco, they carried on like nothing had happened in the great hall that morning, they carried on like she being friends with Astoria was normal, like 10 years ago hadn't happened, they just acted the way that they had before with the thoughts of Draco at the back of their minds. Astoria and Draco couldn't do that, ever since Harry had come back into their lives they fought constantly and the only reasons they were staying together were Neve and Kathy.
Draco knew he'd messed things up, and Harry knew too, the difference was that he had a wife who was happy to avoid the matter, and Draco didn't.
Eventually they both knew something would change that, something would send Ginny flying over the edge.
At the end of the day Harry and Draco were a time bomb, they knew from the very beginning, they knew 10 years ago that they were destined to explode and now it was only a matter of time before something triggered that bomb, and they both knew that it could anything, the smallest thing, the lightest touch, the simplest word. Harry couldn't speak for Draco but he knew that when that bomb went off he'd not regret pulling Draco out of the wreckage. He also knew it would be easy to diffuse this metaphorical bomb, if they cut all ties, or wires in this case, and got on with their lives separately there wouldn't be any bomb to explode, but they both seemed to know that in the back of their minds they liked it this way, the dance around each other, although the awkwardness wasn't fun, neither of them wanted it any other way.
TBC.
A/N - Yes, the last paragraph I totally stole from the lyrics of "Time Bomb" by All Time Low! I was writing this as I listened to their new album and I just couldn't resist, it fits this fic so well!
