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Chapter 11: Harry grinned, bottling his fear like there was no tomorrow

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Harry had fallen asleep on the couch with the Sheep book on his stomach, Draco felt annoyedly jealous of the book that smelled like a farm.

Which was ridiculous.

Not to mention pathetic.

Draco wanted to get up and stop being a loser but today was the last of their timeout from the world. Tomorrow morning Ufo's curse would let Harry leave. Then only death would hold Harry here and knowing him - even that not for long.

They wouldn't stop being friends just because Harry dropped out, would they?

I don't like this.

Shit's hurting my brain. Can I just Obliviate myself?

Harry huffed in his sleep and Draco was ripped out of his thoughts and into the present. That moron had droll on the corner of his mouth, he had sleep in his eyes and he had the worst case of bed hair Draco had ever seen.

How is it possible that I don't find him disgusting?

Because I really should.

Draco grabbed a book about shield charms and opened it with way too much energy. Then he tried to concentrate, but stupid Potter kept breathing.

What a stupid face.

With his stupid glasses that I had to take off after he fell asleep while reading.

And with his perfect dark skin.

Even that stupid lightning across his face.

And his hair, what the fuck is his hair.

It's like wild and all over the place, but not ugly? What the fuck.

There is nothing hot about a sleeping moron who is snoring and drooling.

Absolutely nothing.

THEN WHY DO I WANT TO KISS HIM?

"What's up with the constipated face?" Harry asked in a sleepy voice causing Draco to throw the book he was holding in shock.

"You're blind! You can't see my face!" he scrambled to somehow keep his wits when Harry stretched on the couch. His feet reached over the armrest, his toes showing through the two different socks he had been wearing since getting here.

"I could tell you look constipated with my eyes closed," Harry said, rubbing his face.

"No you can't."

"Why do you think so?"

"Cause I have a brain and no one can tell other people's expressions without looking at them."

"Okay," Harry said, sitting up and turning his back to Draco. "Make a face."

Draco rolled his eyes.

"That's –"

"You rolled your eyes," Harry said. "Now you are surprised and now you're pulling your blank face, but I know you're impressed."

"Wrong," Draco said. Harry looked at him.

"You're smiling…"

"Indeed I am. You have pulled me down to your level, hope you're happy."

"I actually am," Harry said smiling.

Bird – oh, how Draco hated that name – poked her head out of the blanket Draco had dropped on her when she kept staring at him after Harry fell asleep. Harry stroked her head and her dark eyes closed in happiness.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Harry asked, stretching his arms above his head and making Draco feel unfairly hot.

"I don't care."

"So I can make –"

"No, you can't make pasta for breakfast, that's disgusting."

"You said you don't care," Harry said getting up.

"Potter!"

He only laughed walking into the kitchen. Draco sighed, rubbed his eyes and tried to get a hold on his thoughts.

"I was thinking…" Harry started. "What are you going to do after you finish Hogwarts?"

Draco sighed at Harry's habit to talk when they were in different rooms and got up to sit at the counter.

"I am not sure," Draco said. "I could do pretty much anything I set my mind to," Harry laughed, "but I need to decide what is worth it."

"What would you want to do?" Harry asked again. Draco noticed that he was making pancakes not pasta, he smiled.

"Anything involving potions, a high position and something that doesn't let my good looks go to waste."

Harry laughed again.

"I was thinking maybe you could… come work in the Ministry? With me?"

Draco froze, he couldn't believe his ears. Harry was silent for a moment then he looked over his shoulder, Draco kept staring.

"You don't have to!" Harry said after seeing Draco's face, "I am sorry I suggested. It was a dumb –"

"Potter," Draco said to shut the moron up, honestly, he says something like that and then doesn't even let me collect my thoughts. "I can't just show up. I was a Death Eater."

"You have a pardon," Harry said.

"That doesn't matter, not really."

"Hmpf…"

"Harry, listen," he waited until Harry turned to him, "even if you could arrange that I work for you, I wouldn't have achieved that myself. You have to understand that that's not what I want."

"With me, Draco. I would like you to work with me…" Harry sighed. Draco felt a lot of feelings somewhere in his neck. Is that were they are supposed to be? "But you're right, I understand."

Draco smiled. Harry actually considered working with me. What the fuck.

Why did I have to be such a disaster? If I had developed a spine sooner than eighteen I would have avoided a lot of shit.

…

Draco was trying to act normal, but what is normal?

They were outside and Harry was trying out all the spells that he could get his hands on.

"Germinat!" he said pointing to the branch on the edge of the forest. It caught fire and shot straight up, disappearing in the sky.

It was a cold early winter day and Draco was cold even with all the warming charms. Harry seemed not to feel anything, maybe it was just that his spell casting involved a lot of jumping and avoiding stuff that was moving around.

Draco had a more methodical approach, he was trying out a spell that made him invisible for a moment while conjuring doubles that disappeared when hit with a charm, but served as decent decoys. So far he was only able to produce one double of himself and get a headache.

"Abscondam Distraho," he said again. One double of him appeared, but it disappeared as soon as Draco lowered his wand. "Did I became invisible this time?" he asked.

"Erm… no, sorry. Maybe you should try something else," Harry suggested ducking from a branch that he had charmed to try and decapitate him. "Germinat!" he shouted and the branch shot up in the sky. He brushed off his pants and pulled his jumpers sleeves higher on his forearms. "What is that spell you're doing?"

Draco Accio-ed the book that was lying on the porch away from all the mud and showed it to Harry. He looked over the page and mouthed the words.

"Abscondam Distraho," he said and disappeared in an instant. He appeared a moment later stumbling backwards. "It felt very weird, like everything was super-fast for a second, there weren't any doubles, were there?"

Draco shook his head.

"Okay, so the first part – Abscondam – means hide and Distraho means distract, I can do the first part you the second... Let's try it together?"

"You mean at the same time? How is that going to help?" Draco frowned, Harry had the weirdest ideas. Magic operated in complicated, but distinctive ways. Sometimes it seemed like Harry thought it was more like 'point and hope'.

"I meant like holding hands, but..."

"That won't help," it will probably kill me.

"No harm in trying is there?"

"No."

Except I might die.

Draco grabbed Harry's free hand and turned so that they wouldn't be casting at each other.

"Abscondam Distraho."

"Apscondam Distraho-o," Potter mumbled and Draco lost his concentration on the double that had just appeared. "Potter."

"Sorry, let's do it again, your magic distracted me."

"You feel my magic?" Draco asked slightly horrified.

"Maybe?" Harry wavered. "I think that's what it is. Is that rude? I'm sorry."

"No it's just..." Draco didn't want to say 'weird'. "There are fairy tales about people feeling magic - some witch living in a tree and she feels the magic that flows through the forest. In real life people cast spells properly."

"Whatever. Let's try again," Harry said raising his wand again.

They were standing with their shoulders together facing in opposite ways. They said the spell in one voice and this time Draco felt the weird fastness too. He stumbled backwards losing the focus.

"Woha," he said. "Did you make doubles?"

"Maybe. I didn't see, but this was an improvement, let's try again," Harry said. "Also I think you're doing the movement a little off," he muttered.

"No I'm not," Draco argued. "it goes like this," he said motioning it viciously.

"I think it doesn't have that bump," he repeated Draco's motion. "It's just like this. Abscondam Distraho," he said and then two Harry's were blinking at Draco. "Shit," they said in one voice and one wildly looking around Harry appeared on the ground.

"Oh fuck you Potter," Draco swore. "Abscondam Distraho!" he called and felt his mind pull in two directions. He was invisible, but he could make his two doubles glare at Harry. He managed five seconds, not to fall down and to make one of them say 'scar-head' and the other 'Potter' in the most menacing tone possible.

After getting up from the ground Harry smiled.

"Well done," he praised, "do you want a break?"

"Fuck you," Draco said. Now that he had done the spell once he could only get better at it. "Abscondam Distraho." He said and suddenly he was looking at Harry with two pairs of eyes instead of one.

"I did it," one of him said.

"Not you," the other one finished

"Okay Draco," Harry said. Draco blinked and he was himself again.

"This spell makes me feel weird," Draco said shuddering and crossing his arms. "But it could be useful if I wouldn't..."

"Well we can practice more later," Harry said clapping on his shoulder.

"Later," Draco echoed bitterly.

Harry looked back at him with wide eyes.

"What's that tone?" he asked.

"Nothing," Draco said relaxing his arms. "We could try some other spell?"

"Okay," Harry said. "What about the one that turns shoes into sticky jelly?"

"That's a –"

"Marvellous spell? Yes, it is!" Harry finished for him.

"I was going to say lame, but..."

Harry was already pointing his wand to the ground. Three pairs of the ugliest dress shoes Draco had ever seen appeared in the mud.

"Merlin." Draco scowled and conjured a row of shoes that he could even wear if the occasion asked enough. "That's more like it."

"Show off," Harry rolled his eyes. "Calceamentum Tenax," he said pointing at the first pair of shoes.

Nothing happened, Draco looked at Harry who had a pained expression on his face.

"Bollocks," he swore. "Merlin. Fucking hell."

"What..." Draco stopped when he looked down, then he burst out laughing.

Harry's shoes had turned into a steaming pile of goo.

"It feels like shit," Harry whimpered. "My feet are in sticky shit... STOP LAUGHING AT ME..."

Draco couldn't help it.

"DRACO!" Harry pleaded, but he was also starting to smile. "Draco!"

"The great Harry Potter has been glued to the Earth by his shoes!"

"Shut up and find me a counter spell or I swear I will Apparate and then you will have to take care of me for a week BECAUSE ALL MY SKIN WILL HAVE BEEN TORN OFF!"

"You better hope there is a counter spell or I will get you to actually eat three meals in a day," Draco threatened. He walked into the house and looked at the Sheep book that was lying on the counter. He found the right page and smirked, there was clearly written – 'Calceamentum Tenax' turns shoes into sticky jelly, shoes cannot be recovered.

Make your opponent preform the spell, the casters shoes are the ones that get ruined.

Counter spell - 'Tenax Absens'.

"Tenax Absens," Draco repeated and read the page to the end in case there were any other important notes that Harry had missed.

"DRACO!"

"Coming," Draco called. He looked at the counter spell one last time and then exited the house.

"This is horrible," Harry complained. "My toes are all sticky…"

"Stand still you big baby," Draco ordered. "Tenax Absens."

The goo started steaming and as soon as Harry could he jumped a good distance from the crime scene. He scowled at the steaming pile of jelly.

Draco was smirking until Harry raised his wand and glared at the two rows of shoes.

"Germinat!" he growled. He was barefoot and the shoe he was trying to send off into the sky only flared up, which only added to his aggravation.

"Stop that!" Draco called covering his mouth and nose from the horrid stench that rose from the shoe. It was now slowly starting to rotate a bit above the ground. Draco took a couple of steps back. The stupid shoe was moving in his direction and it was hot and blazing. He stumbled, falling on his arse.

"Look out!" Harry called when the shoe suddenly lunged forward only to make a u-turn and almost go in to the ground, then it made a new cloud of black smoke and hurled in Draco's direction again.

Draco could barely hear him because he was preoccupied by the fire-monster that was coming his way. Somehow he managed to get his wand up.

"Evanesco!"

Nothing happened.

"Evanesco!" he tried again. "Merlin! Somebody!"

Draco didn't see the small shoe that had already mostly burned out, he saw a raging chimera that was toying with him and out to destroy everything. He was as useless as he had been last year, he couldn't do anything. The monster came closer.

Suddenly two dark hands took it by the neck and threw it in the air, it took off spewing dark smoke. Draco stared after it stupidly, then he looked at Harry, who of course was the one to save him again.

"I am sorry!" he said. "Shit I am sorry. I am such a fuck, I am sorry…"

Draco looked at the ground, deciding to take a moment to collect his thoughts.

"You'll get sick," Harry said in a small voice. "Let's go inside."

Draco looked at him, he had extended his hand to help Draco get up.

"Could you… erm… not do that again?" Draco asked wearily.

"I won't! I am so sorry. That was inconsiderate of me, I am a moron –"

"Shut up!" Draco stood up using Harry's hand more roughly than it was strictly necessary. "You don't get to call yourself a moron." He looked more carefully at Harry's palms. "I DO. And I am exercising that right right now, because you are… You are an IDIOT, look at your hands, genius! Merlin…"

Draco grabbed Harry by his forearm and dragged him in the direction if the house.

"Ufo!" he called. "Ufo?"

Nothing happened.

"Great." Draco bit stopping in the kitchen. "He's busy. What am I supposed to do now?" Draco stressed turning Harry's hands over. His palms looked alarmingly red.

"It'll be fine," Harry said smiling. "It doesn't hurt –"

Draco poked at one of Harry's palms and the git winced.

"Doesn't hurt my ARSE." Draco was holding Harry's hands gently, he didn't know what to do. There had always been somebody to turn to with injuries. Mother, a house elf, madam Pomfrey, but now…

Draco just hold on to Harry's hands willing the redness to go away with his vicious stare that was covering his helplessness.

"You shouldn't have done that…" Draco whispered. "What were you thinking?"

"Your vanishing spell wasn't working so I panic-improvised." Harry shrugged.

"You shouldn't have done that! Especially because I was just freaking out, the stupid shoe wouldn't have probably even hit me."

"It was right in your face," Harry said unbelievingly.

"No," Draco shook his head. "The chimera was right… oh."

"Yeah," Harry nodded wincing and walked over to the sink.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked, his hands empty and now feeling even more useless.

"Turn on the cold water, please?" Harry asked, putting his hands under the tap. Draco complied. "I think, that's what you are supposed to do when you get burnt. And… yeah… that actually feels a lot better."

"Why did you take with your bare hands of all things?" he asked slightly concerned. "Are you a wizard or not?"

In response Harry grinned widely.

"Ron once said that to Hermione," he half laughed. "It was in our first year, Ron was captured by a Devil's Snare and Hermione was stressing out," Harry reminisced.

"You lot really are mental," Draco said. "Where did you find Devil's Snare as a first year?"

"In the… what was it…? Third floor corridor that we weren't allowed in? Do you remember?"

"I do. But of course… how could I have not gathered that sooner," he put one palm out, "a forbidden part of the castle," he put his other palm out, "you three. The natural order of things is," he clapped the hands together. Then he dropped his hands and glared at Harry. "Is that how you stole the House cup form us?"

Harry chuckled nervously.

"We just…"

"Seriously? What the fuck, the actual fuck. Mate. I am so not ok with that. You morons go sticking your noses where it doesn't belong and Dumbledore goes and awards you?"

"Yeah… That was not what I was aiming for. I just didn't want Snape to get the Philosopher's stone."

"It was in the school?"

"Yeah. Each teacher had made a chamber with an obstacle to guard it."

"Why did Severus want to steal it?"

"Oh... He didn't really. It was Quirrell, we just thought it was Snape because he was so shady and he got bitten by Fluffy."

"Fluffy?"

"A three headed dog."

"Naturally," Draco did his best to keep calm. "Why did Quirrell need it?"

"He had a fetus Voldemort on the back of his head, he wanted to bring him to life again."

Harry looked at Draco who was staring but didn't say anything, he looked back at his palms under the cold water.

"You fought Voldemort when you were eleven?" Draco asked in a small voice.

Harry nodded.

"Mhm, I got hella lucky and Ron and Hermione helped me."

"Merlin…" Draco swore. "What else have you gotten up to over the years?"

"Closed the chamber of secrets, saved Sirius," that came bitterly, "then failed to stop Voldemort to come back to life," even more bitterly, "then got Sirius killed," Harry said frowning at his hands, "then was an idiot and used an unknown spell," he clenched his hands into fists, "then let Dumbledore die, then camped a bunch. Came back and got more people killed, then died and then came back."

"And then you finished off Voldemort and then fixed the Ministry, Harry. I will kick you if you only look at the bad shit that happened to you."

Harry snorted.

"Still true though."

"Oh for fucks sake. Tell me about the first time you flew," Draco said, hoping to make Harry think about something he loves and wipe the sadness off his face.

"Well… A certain blond prat had taken my classmates Remembrall so I tried to teach him a lesson," Harry said with a bit of a smile.

Draco rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah."

If that had been Harry's first time on a broom he really was a natural.

"When did you fly for the first time?" Harry asked.

"When I was five, I think. I got a broom for Christmas and broke three windows before I was banned to use it inside," Draco remembered with a smile, then he looked at Harry's hands again and felt a stab of guilt in his chest. "I should get that dumb fear of fire under control."

"Say if there's anything I can do to help," Harry offered without a second of hesitation.

Before Draco could melt into a puddle on the floor a loud crack disrupted the silent kitchen.

"Lords," Ufo greeted.

"Harry burned his palms, could you please heal him?" Draco asked.

"Of course," Ufo said walking over to Harry who sat down cross legged, back against the cupboard. "You should be a lot more careful while practicing your spells," he said taking Harry's palms into his. He looked them over and then murmured something, putting his palms over Harry's burnt ones.

"Ah," Harry gasped after a moment. "Thank you, Ufo."

"You should be more careful, lord Harry," Ufo said in a serious tone.

"I will," Harry said.

Draco didn't know how to make him actually mean things. Harry just said shit to get others off his back.

"How are you both feeling?" Ufo asked levitating to Draco's eye level.

Harry got up, still minding his palms.

"We are much better," Draco said. He wasn't sure if he was lying or not. He felt less tired and less stressed than he had in months, when he wasn't fearing for Harry's life or freaking out about his past.

"I figured out some stuff, so I guess I'm better."

"If it was my choice, lord Potter, I would keep you here for a couple of years, but I fear you might start attempting to break the spell which would be a bother," Ufo said. Draco wondered if Ufo thought Harry could break it.

Harry smiled sheepishly.

"Let's not test that theory."

"Better not…" Ufo turned his back to them at the same time as Bird soared down the stairs and crossed the living room, landing on the counter. "I wondered where you had gone," he said.

"You know Bird?" Harry asked.

"I know every creature in the forest," Ufo informed. "What kind of a name is 'Bird'?"

"Thank you!" Draco said looking accusingly at Harry. "I said the same thing…"

"Lay off you two…" Harry said. "Come here, Bird, you like your name don't you?"

She looked at Harry with her dark eyes and jumped. She landed on his shoulder only slightly brushing his face with her wing. Bird nuzzled around Harry's neck and glared at Ufo who laughed.

"You've finally chosen yourself a human, huh? I thought the day would never come, then I can sleep a bit better, knowing that lord Harry is in good paws."

Bird made a noise at Ufo.

…

"LOOK at this!" Harry shouted excitedly.

"You are shaking the book so much I can't read anything."

"Read!" Harry ordered stilling his hands a bit.

"Wandless magic… potential… awakening… elements…" Draco skimmed the page. "So?"

"So? Didn't you want to learn wandless magic too?" Harry asked his excitement subsiding a bit.

Draco recalled their conversation.

"I guess… but it says here the spell should be performed by an experienced person."

Harry had already turned the book back to him and read the rest of the page, murmuring along the words.

"And how do you get the experience?" he asked Draco, but didn't let him answer. "By doing the thing! Elementum Praesens Evigilare Faciatis Tradite," Harry read aloud. "You should do it, the pronunciation is hell."

Draco was already wincing.

"Yes, I should."

"I heard there is a transfer kid who can do wind wandless magic," Harry said. "Maybe he could teach us."

Draco shook his head.

"I heard he's a dick."

"Oh."

Draco got up and walked into the kitchen.

"By the way have you written the letters to somebody in Ministry and to Eamon Eomaire?" he asked from the kitchen.

"Oh, no I haven't yet," Harry said, by the sound of it slapping his forehead. "Letters are hell… Expecto Patronum!" he cast. "Shit!"

Draco looked behind him. Harry was staring at him with wide eyes and his Patronus was a whiff of mist already fading.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Do you have an owl?"

Draco frowned at Harry's weird behaviour.

"Of course I do, who do you think I am?"

"Great! I will go write the letters," Harry said and stalked off to the study. Bird followed him.

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Harry slouched down on the chair in the study and hung his head back.

His Patronus had grown wings.

Not butterfly wings, not bird wings… no.

Thestral wings. Harry was pretty sure what that meant but it didn't make him feel better. Bird nudged at his hand and he brushed her head.

"I am so fucked Bird…" he murmured. He rubbed his eyes. "Better write some letters, Merlin knows I love that."

He wrote out a letter for the head of the Auror department, asking to enrol in the training. Then he wrote to Kingsley's secretary informing that he wants to take a permanent place in the Minster's council. Then he started composing the thank you letter for Eamon Eomaire and that was when Bird's patience ran out. She poked her head in the inkwell and spilled it all over the table.

"Bird!" Harry snatched up his letters that were only partly bathed in ink. "Oh, shit…" he said watching as the ink dripped from the parchment. "This sucks. Is there a reason why wizards only use ink and parchment?" he asked Bird.

She looked at him and bit into the letter he was holding above her. She was standing on her hind legs watching Harry.

"No! Don't do that." Harry tried to reason with the beast. She let go and dropped to the table with a rattling huff. "You're bored? Go give this to Draco," Harry said giving her a piece of paper. She swooped up and out of the room. Harry did his best to spell the paper clean and then put the finished letters in a drawer away from unruly dragons.

He sat back down and took the quill trying to get back into the writing. But when the half closed door to the room was kicked open he almost made the inkwell fly across the room.

"WHEN I said that she's a magical creature 'like an owl'," Draco bellowed, shaking the paper in his hand, barely holding in laughter. "I DIDN'T mean an actual owl!"

Bird was looking at them, from the doorway holding on to the ceiling, half in the hallway half in the study. She screeched proudly.

"She was bored, I just…" Harry trailed off when he met Draco's eyes. That look always made Harry to forget what he was saying. "Ehm… yeah." He finished looking down at the table. "Sorry."

"I don't mind," Draco said. "I just can't believe you sometimes." Harry didn't think he meant it in a bad way so he smiled, Draco was already smiling back.

"Okay, well I will leave you to it," Draco said turning away.

"Hey," Draco looked back at him, "is there a reason wizards use quills and ink?"

"What else would we use?" Draco asked incredulously.

Harry smothered a smile.

"Accio pen," he said waving his wand. After a moment his half-chewed pen flew into the room, but before Harry could catch it, Bird caught it in her teeth. "Give that here," Harry said pulling it out of her teeth. He wiped off the pen and scowled at the new teeth marks. "These?" he asked looking at Draco.

Draco stepped forward taking the pen from Harry.

"It's muggle?" he asked, turning it in his fingers.

"Yeah."

"Well the statute of secrecy was enforced in 1692, I bet that has something to do with it, and also most of the pure bloods wouldn't want to use anything muggles have invented."

"So no practical reason?"

"I don't think so." Draco shrugged.

"Okay then," Harry said and walked over to his desk. He closed the ink bottle and looked at the letter he needed to finish. He clicked the pen a couple of times and looked up at Draco. "What?"

"Nothing… it's just, you're concentrating, I wouldn't have though it possible."

"Get outta here!" Harry laughed.

Draco flashed a smile and disappeared down the corridor. Harry looked back at the letter.

Okay, now business.

Then I need to get a hang of some more spells, and maybe some hours of sleep?

Only if I have done enough.

He finished the letter with his pen, reread it and wondered whether he should apologize for not using ink. He decided that a person living with a bunch of sheep and a puffin wouldn't care. He took the letters and walked into the living room where Draco was reading.

"We should do something about that stone," he said closing his book and looking at the stone pillar still standing in the living room.

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "How can I send these?"

"Viridi," Draco called. "He'll be here in a minute, he delivered a letter from my mother yesterday."

"Oh, okay." Harry hadn't noticed that, he put the sealed letters down on the coffee table, Bird put her paws and head on the table, watching them. "Please don't eat them," Harry pleaded. She made a rattling nose and with a backflip jumped onto the couch. "I was wondering maybe we should do try some more spells."

"Sure," Draco agreed. "Look at this," he stood up. "Abscondam Distraho," he said and two Dracos suddenly were pointing wands at Harry, Bird jumped onto his shoulders and glared at them. They circled him and then disappeared. "Tadaa!" Draco leaned out from the kitchen. "Now I can actually do it properly."

"Wow, that's great, any tips?"

Draco looked at the ground.

"My hand movement might have been a teensy bit off…"

Harry grinned.

"I am jealous, you're good at potions and spells. I am going to have to go through hell if I want to become a proper Auror."

"I am pretty sure you won't have to."

"I have been told that I am shit at potions since eleven I am pretty sure I am shit at potions."

"Well, maybe that's the problem. When I explained you the basics you actually got better."

"Seriously?"

Draco nodded.

"I could keep tutoring you if you want," Draco suggested.

"You don't have to," Harry said. He didn't want to be a burden. "I am sure you find it annoying."

"It's fine," Draco cut and that was that.

"I would like that then, thank you."

"Make a slot for me in your schedule then."

"Schedule… yeah, of course," Harry said scratching the back of his neck.

Draco looked at him suspiciously.

"You have one, right?"

"Well…"

"Merlin, who decided that you're allowed to adult?" Draco asked shaking his head.

Harry smiled.

"I'm getting by," he said and then snorted. "Getting bi…"

Draco looked at him weirdly but before either of them could say anything an owl knocked on the window. Draco went over to open it. "Deliver some letters for Harry," Draco asked scratching the eagle owls head. Harry walked over.

"These are to the Ministry, and this to Eamon Eomaire," he said to the owl. "The ministry ones are more urgent," he tied the letters to the owl's legs. "Thank you," he said as the owl turned his back to him. The bird glared at him with one yellow eye and took off.

"Okay." Draco closed the window. "How is your Legilimency and Occlumency?"

"Could be better," Harry said cautiously.

"You should learn that, I don't know if that's something they include in the Auror training, but they should."

"Noted," Harry said, relieved that Draco wasn't suggesting to do it with him. There were heaps and heaps of things Harry had to keep to himself.

"Will you go to Hogwarts to get your things?"

"Yeah, and to say goodbye to everyone properly," Harry said. "Not that I won't see all of you anymore, but… this feels like an end of sorts."

"Yes, it does."

Harry looked at the book that was still open in the page about wandless magic.

"Can you do the spell on me?" he said lifting the book. "You're so good I am sure you can do it."

"Are you crazy?" Draco asked shaking his head.

"What? You can't do it?" Harry tried to pull on the other's pride.

"I can do it alright, but I have no desire…"

"Come on, Malfoy… don't you have a sense of adventure?"

"Did you read the list of the possible outcomes?"

"I did, so?"

"One of them is death," Draco said pointing at the bottom of the page.

"The outcome of life is death," Draco glared at Harry viciously, "It's only if you mispronounce the spell, Draco," he tried to sway the blond. "When was the last time you did that?"

"Fair point, but I am still not doing it."

Harry growled exasperated.

"Okay, fine then I am going to do it and I am probably going to botch up the pronunciation."

"Don't you dare," Draco said snapping the book closed.

"Elementum Praesens Evigilare… Faciatis… and something on a t…" Harry paused thinking. "Tradite…?"

"Potter, no."

"That's it, isn't it?" Harry grinned.

It was one thing he thought wandless magic was crazy cool, but another the fact that in some situations it was all he might have. If he loses his wand he is suddenly reduced to an average eighteen year old with more than average enemies. Wandless magic could change that.

Harry lifted his wand and let out a breath preparing to cast the spell. He vaguely remembered the movement, it was more complicated than what he was used to, but he could manage.

"What! No Potter." Draco slapped his wand hand and glared at him. "YOU hot-headed bastard. Brick-brain! Fine. Merlin. Fine." He opened the book again. "The fact that you have been so lucky at winging it to this day doesn't mean it works that way."

Harry smiled at Draco who only glared for a bit before reading the info about the spell again.

"You're a moron," Draco accused Harry. "It says here you need a to drink a potion." He looked at Harry. "Do you have the Vacatio potion?"

"No, but it's like two ingredients, how important could it be…" he trailed off as Draco looked on the verge of knocking Harry out with the book he was clenching in his hands.

"Without it nothing will work and your excrements will be rocks for a week!"

Harry frowned.

"Where is that written?"

"On your fuck-lord forehead."

"Prick."

"Merlin, what has this society sunk to," Draco murmured. "Luckily to you this house has a basement."

"It has a WHAT now?" Harry asked forgetting the petty insults. He had explored the whole house on the first days here and there had been no basement.

Draco was wearing his sneaky smirk.

"I'll show you."

They walked into the study and Draco looked over the bookshelf that Harry hadn't gotten over to rearranging.

"Rogo Vestibulum," he said tapping three books with his wand. The shelf fluctuated and moved to both sides like an automatic door. Harry stared with his mouth open.

"This is SO cool!"

Draco smiled and stepped on the first step.

"Don't bang your head," Draco said just as Harry knocked his goddamn excitable skull against the low wooden panel.

"Yep, got it," Harry said rubbing his forehead.

Draco chuckled and walked into the room at the bottom of the stairs. The only light was what little flowed into the stairwell from the study. The room lit up at a single wave of Draco's wand.

"We probably have everything we need here," Draco said walking over to the supply shelf, on the way lighting the fire under the smallest cauldron that was standing on a table next to three other, each bigger than the previous. On the floor there was a cauldron in which Harry probably could have fit if the occasion called for it.

"This is so…"

"Practical? Yeah, you can never know when you will need a potion and shopping for ingredients is tedious, especially if you can't send a house elf. And sometimes you have wait weeks before it even gets smuggled into the country – annoying," Draco said rummaging through the shelf. He took a bottle out and read the label.

"Did you bring the book?" he asked. "I am not sure which one of these was the one."

"I'll go get it," Harry said, still hung up on the 'smuggling in the country' part.

He run up the stairs and took the book from the table. He looked at the part about the potion and read the introduction.

Okay, it has four ingredients. Whatever.

He quickly ran his eyes over the rest of the text and headed back down stairs.

"Fuck," he swore knocking his head against the top shelf again. Why couldn't it just shift to the side like a normal book case? "Oh, fuck..." he sighed feeling a bruise forming.

"You okay there?" Draco asked standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"I am wonderful," Harry grumbled.

"Give me the book before you accidently blow it up."

"I am not prone to spontaneously combust, Draco, I just knocked my head."

"Yes… twice."

"Oh lay off and make the potion."

"I will, but you pay attention."

Harry walked over to the cauldron.

"I am watching," he said staring at the dark water in the cauldron.

Draco pushed the book in his hands.

"What's the first thing I have to do?" he asked.

Harry took the book and read it aloud. Draco knew how to make Harry actually pay attention. An hour later they were standing in front of a finished potion. It was bluish-green and bubbling a little.

"Doesn't smell like anything," Harry said poking his nose almost into the cauldron which only got his nose full with hot air.

"It's not supposed to," Draco said pulling Harry back by his shoulder. "Don't drop your hair into it."

"I wouldn't have," Harry pouted, but stepped back. Draco's hand felt good on his shoulder and when he took it of Harry shivered for the first time noticing that it was cold in there.

Draco poured the potion in two glasses.

"You're doing it too?" Harry asked.

"Might as well," Draco said giving one glass to Harry. "It was my dream when I was little after all."

Harry felt his chest flutter.

"Yeah, you said."

"Well… To our childhood dreams?" he lifted the glass.

Harry clinked their glasses and smiled.

"And to new relation… I mean friendships," Harry finished feeling his face heat up. Before anyone could do anything he downed the potion in a one huge gulp. "Wbah…" he exclaimed as it went down his neck. It felt like water with mud in it.

"It's freezing," Draco said putting his empty glass on the table.

Harry frowned at him but his stomach didn't feel steady enough to say anything.

"Okay," Draco looked in the book again. "First I do the spell on you then you on me?"

"Can't you do it on yourself?"

Draco frowned at him with one eyebrow raised – show off.

"I don't think it would be wise."

"Bugger. I don't want to kill you accidentally," Harry said suddenly worried.

"Oh. So you see why I opposed this in the first place?"

Harry nodded still feeling the taste of mud in his mouth.

"So?" Draco prompted.

"We started, might as well finish it," Harry said and grinned, bottling his fear like there was no tomorrow.

"Okay then, stand still," Draco ordered. Harry obliged watching as Draco read the spell for the last time. They had been practicing the movement in between brewing the potion. It wasn't as hard as Harry had remembered.

"Ready?" Draco asked.

"Hit me." Harry nodded.

"Elementum Praesens Evigilare FaciatisTradite," Draco chanted. A swirling mist flowed around Harry who smelled earth all around him. For a second he felt like he was being buried alive and then he saw the stones and the earth like it was a long-lost body part. He sank to his knees suddenly exhausted and felt the cold stone floor underneath his fingers.

He lifted his palm concentrating on his pointing finger. A stone forget-me-not flower erupted from the floor and Harry marvelled remembering that the same flower had appeared in the Castle on the night of Halloween.

"Harry?" Draco asked worriedly. "You all right?"

"I'm kaay, I think…" Harry looked up to Draco who looked amazing with his sleeves rolled back and hair a bit all over the place. Harry took the flower which broke off from the floor easily. "Look," he said giving it to Draco.

"Stone?"

"Earth, I think…" Harry corrected. The aftermath of the spell left him aware of the stone underneath his feet and the walls all around him. "You can keep it if you want," Harry said not looking at Draco.

Luckily Draco didn't question it.

"Do you feel all right?"

"I feel fine, are you ready?"

"As ready as I will be."

Harry nodded, looked at the book for the last time and then let out a calming breath. He met Draco's eyes and just as he had feared he was flushed with the memory of when he had cut open his chest. This time it was worse because Draco was standing calmly, trusting Harry. What if I mess up?

What if I hurt him?

"Harry?" Draco snapped him out of it.

"Elementum Praesens Evigilare FaciatisTradite!" Harry said faster than it was sensible. The mist hit Draco straight in the face and ebbed down to his feet. Harry tried to recall if he did the motion right, but his brain was blank. "Draco?" he whispered.

"Woha," Draco exclaimed stumbling back. The stone underneath him was covered in a thin layer of frost when the mist dissipated. "Wow…" he said again with his hands on his knees and panting a bit.

"Are you all right?" Harry asked feeling his heart beating in his chest which was suddenly too tight. "Draco?" he looked up. "I don't know if I did it right!" It felt like he was back in the bathroom and Draco was bleeding all over the floor, looking horrifyingly close to death. "I messed up, I am sorry. Merlin, I…"

Harry felt his hands shaking. All he could see was Draco with his chest sliced up and covered in blood.

So much blood.

"I didn't mean to hurt you," he whispered.

"You didn't," Draco reassured. "Harry, look at me, I am fine."

Harry blinked, focusing on Draco who was standing a step away, his light shirt unstained.

"Merlin," Harry breathed his heart still racing. He bit back the tears of relief that were prickling at his eyes. Draco had the dumb stone flower in the pocket of his shirt, Harry wanted to do a lot of inappropriate things to him so he looked away.

Draco stepped closer and Harry almost started crying when he hugged him. Harry gratefully embraced the blond whose skin felt even warmer than usual.

"Mine is ice," Draco said against, Harry's ear. "Isn't that cool?"

"It's wicked cool," Harry laughed. "How come you're so warm then?"

"I have always been hot, Harry. Haven't you noticed? I'm offended," Draco leaned back pouting.

Harry laughed.

Haven't? Noticed?

Are you kidding.

"Yeah, yeah," he said instead and stepped back. "Let's go outside and fuck some shit up!"

Draco laughed and followed Harry up the stairs.

»»-¤-««

Okay,

Thank you all the people who commented on my previous chapter as you see it works.

Next one won't be so soon sadly.

Comment your thoughts and have a lovely day,

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