.: we're not who we used to be :.
part II
Granger spotted them first, and a toothy grin spread over her face as she jumped from her seat to envelope Harry in a hug. Draco caught Weasley's eyes over the bush of Granger's brown hair, and Draco had no clue what to do with his face. Smiling, he felt, would be disingenuous considering their history.
Harry pulled back from the hug, but his hand lingered on Granger's back. Draco was unsurprised by Harry's open affection because he was used to Harry's long hugs and steady hands. Draco still didn't know everything about Harry's childhood before Hogwarts, but he knew enough to be completely unsurprised about Harry's feelings concerning touch. Harry leaned into every friendly touch, and he was always ready to offer a pat on the back or to sling an arm around a friend's shoulders.
Draco cleared his throat when Weasley broke eye-contact, and he forced himself not to shuffle about like a toddler hopped up on too much sugar. Granger leveled her piercing amber stare on him, and Draco took a moment to see how she'd changed in the two years since he'd last seen her — it wasn't much. Her hair was as unruly as ever, and her clothes were still exclusively Muggle and overall plain, but there was a new strength in her shoulders that hadn't been there before. She was no longer a mousy bookworm, but a woman who was sure of herself.
"Hello, Granger." Draco held out his hand for her to shake — thank the merciful gods, his hand was steady — because Granger seemed the type of woman to appreciate straightforwardness.
"Malfoy," she greeted, shaking his hand. Her grip was firm, her palm calloused, and she stared him down the entire time their hands were connected. She was definitely still a force to be reckoned with, and it took him less than a second to clock that she still had the ability to reduce his self-esteem to the murky depths of the Black Lake. "I'm glad you could come out tonight. Ron and I have been pestering Harry for weeks about what's going on between the two of you."
"I bet you went apoplectic when Harry told you the truth," Draco replied, trying for levity as she dropped his hand.
Granger tipped her head back and laughed. He didn't think he'd been that funny, but he'd take what he could get. He thought he heard her mutter, "Wasn't as surprising as you'd think," as she turned away.
Harry greeted Weasley over the table with a weird looking handshake, and Granger slid back into the booth. It was a large corner booth, with a big square table, and Granger scooched right back into Weasley's space with the ease of someone comfortable in their relationship. Weasley's pale arm settled around her shoulders as the man continued to stare Draco down.
Harry settled into the booth as well, and he was looking up at Draco expectantly, but Draco knew his mother would have his ear if she found out he didn't greet Weasley before taking his seat. He took another steadying breath.
"Nice to see you, Weasley," Draco said mildly.
"Well, if we're lying, it's nice to see you too, Ferret," Weasley replied, his expression not shifting.
"Ronald," Granger scolded. She backhanded him in the stomach, but Weasley grinned and remained completely unconcerned.
"No, he's right, Granger," Draco conceded. He took his seat next to Harry, and Harry's hand immediately settled on Draco's thigh with a comfortable squeeze. "I'd have preferred to stay in bed all night, but alas, here I am."
"Godric, I didn't need to know that." Ron shook his head, his eyes wide.
"Not like—" Draco cleared his throat and blushed. "I didn't mean it like that."
Draco looked at Harry, relieved to see the other man was blushing as much as he was — even if it wasn't as noticeable with Harry's darker complexion. "Sorry," Draco mumbled, but Harry shook his head with an embarrassed smile and squeezed Draco's thigh again.
"So," Hermione began pointedly, "Harry tells us that your charity is doing really well?"
Draco seized the topic with both hands, and enthused, "It's been great! I'm really pleased with how it's been received by the public, and it's great to give back in a way that actually matters."
"Teddy loves it, that's for sure," Harry added, his eyes pinging between Draco and his friends as if he needed a visual of everyone at once.
"Teddy's easily pleased." Draco looked at Harry when he said this, and he was quite pleased when Harry's gaze stopped swinging and settled on Draco.
"Must be a family trait," Harry admitted with a shrug that screamed 'I'm teasing you now.' Draco, though, hadn't quite caught on yet.
"Professor Lupin graded my papers; he was definitely not easily pleased."
"Oh, nah, Remus was a lovable perfectionist." Harry smiled. "I was talking about you."
"Ha!" Draco snorted. "I bet you've been w—"
"Okay, hold up," Weasley interrupted. Draco gave a little start; he'd fully admit he'd forgotten he was under the watchful eye of Harry's friends. "So this is real? You two are actually dating? Teasing and romance — the whole kit and kaboodle?"
"Ronald!" Granger hissed again. She furiously whispered, "Harry told us they were dating! Why on earth would he lie about something like that?"
"I just—"
"No, it's fair, Granger," Draco interrupted. Was this really the second time he was agreeing with Weasley tonight? Draco rolled his shoulders and grabbed Harry's hand, boldly placing their clasped palms in full view of Harry's friends.
"We're dating," Draco confirmed. "And trust me, it was hard for me to accept at first, too. We danced around each other for a couple weeks, and honestly? We were dating a while before we actually admitted that that was what we were doing. All this doubt that you two have? It's why it took us so long to say anything. Most people are going to think we're batshit, and it won't surprise me."
"It's not as surprising as you'd think," Granger repeated.
One day, I'll ask her what that's supposed to mean, Draco thought.
"Right, Ron?" Hermione prompted.
Ron sighed like this was paining him deeply. "Hey, I'm just looking out for my friend. You can't blame me, right?"
"Guess not," Draco allowed. "And I knew he was a package deal."
Harry grinned again and shifted closer to Draco — their sides now flush against each other. Harry's body heat was comforting, and in a role-reversal, Draco was the one to lean further into him.
Maybe both their love languages were 'touch.'
"Alright," Weasley said mildly, as if this were any other conversation. "What are your intentions with our dear Harry, here?"
Draco froze, and when he looked up from his lap, he'd never been so grateful to see Pansy and Theo in his life.
thank you for reading part two! i'm very happy i decided to add a part two to this fic — i think it both needed and deserved it. and it's fun to think that in Pansy's Plan, as soon as pansy and theo show up, draco hops up from his seat and says "thank merlin." it makes me chuckle knowing that this was the conversation he was avoiding. i'd like to know what y'all think draco would've said if he couldn't avoid the convo? * looking eye emoji * thanks again for reading :))