Chapter Five
If Berkley found it odd that Draco and Harry arrived at the exact same time, standing closer that they normally would, he didn't show it. However, his face did show that he was very excited about something.
"Lookit! We're in the paper!" He cried, pracially tackling Harry and Draco.
"Lemme see!" Harry said, snatching the paper from Berkely's hands. It looks as if Draco's kisses caused Harry to temporarily act like a twelve year old. Draco didn't know wether he should feel disgusted or aroused.
"Read it aloud, Potter, if you're not going to share it." Draco commanded, but in that understated way he ways always using.
"Alright, alright. Hold on." Harry unfolded the paper and began to read:
Happenstance Coffee: A Break from the Ordinary
Torah Alans Reports
If latey you've been feeling overwhemld by the sheer amount of corperate coffee shops that seem to be popping up on every street corner then Happenstance Coffee may be your savior. The coffee is without a doubt the best coffee I've had in years, without any fancy addins or complicated names. What it does have is massive amonts of caffine. But it's the service with a smile that really makes you want to stay there for a week. Although the shop only has one employee and two owners working there it runs like a very well oiled machine. Some how the quirky but undoubtedly good-looking co-owner Harry Potter managed to talk to every costomer and the blonde pocket Adonis behind the counter charmed everyone's pants off with just a smile. Aparently the blonde one is also the maker of all the scones. Oh…the scones. Countries have fought wars over this scone recipe, I'm sure of it. When I say they're to die for, I'm completely serious. Happenstance Coffee is a place to stop at daily, and if you go enough I'm sure it will become a place where "everyone knows your name". It's excellent pastires and coffee, the eclectoc art-deco ferniture and original artwork make it a shop that will not be just a passing fad.
I hope to see you there.
"This is gonna be great publicity!" Harry cried when he was finished.
"How come I wasn't mentioned?" Berkley pouted.
"She thinks I'm sexy! And she liked my scones!" Draco was exstatic.
"Can I see the paper?" Draco asked Harry, reaching out to grab it from his hand. Harry snatched his hand back to prevent this, but somehow he ending up losing grip on it and the papers went up in the air, only to come back down like demented snowflakes.
"Jesus Christ, Harry, if you were any more spazdic you'd be a vibrator." Draco snapped, bending down to pick up the paper, but he froze when he reached the front page.
"Shit. Oh shit." He wispered, sitting down on the floor, holding the paper close up to his face, hoping his eyes had betrayed him.
There it was, in big, bold letters, the headline that would change everything.
LOCAL TOWN HOUSE BURNED DOWN IN MYSTERIOUS FIRE
And directly under that was a picture of Draco's house…engulfed in flames.
"What is it, Malfoy? What's wrong?" Harry was by his side in a instant, and even if Draco was confused and scared beyond anything at this point, he could still appreciate Harry's arm around his shoulders. The world was a funny place.
"It's my house. It's…it's been burned down."
"Do you think it was Death Eaters?" Harry wispered, while Berkley strained his ears to hear.
"Who else could it be?"
"What are you going to do?"
"Leave again, I guess. Brazil, maybe."
"Again? Has this happened before?"
"Of course it has. I told you last night, it's been happening since I left Hogwarts. I don't want to put anyone in danger."
"Stay at my house. You won't be in danger there, I promise. "
"Neither of us can do magic, Potter. We'd be completely defenseless."
"I don't want you to leave."
"Then we'll need back up."
"Are you planning something?"
"Could be. I'm sick of running from those bastards. This is the last time. I want them taken out."
"I can help you."
"Yeah?"
"Would someone please clue me in here!" Berkley finally got sick of watching Harry and Draco whisper furiously back and forth.
The both looked at him and snapped "No!"
He pouted some more, but he soon learned that pouting wasn't going to get him anywhere, so he started setting up shop.
"I'm working on a plan. Do you have any of your old connections intact from your days in the Order?"
"Yeah. Most of them."
"Okay. You set up a date and time. I'll give you the details when everyone shows up."
"Okay. Shop is gonna open in a few minutes. Are you staying with me again?"
"If I can."
Draco felt rather like he was in a rugby scrum, only with just two people, and far less violent. But with here heads bent towards each other and their quick sentances he could help but make the comparison. When they stopped whispering and went to their places in the shop he felt that it was somehow anti-climactic.
The day was busier than the last. People came to the shop in droves and everyone was in a constant state of movement. It was spring in London and that ment rain, so people came to their shop looking for shelter and something warm to hold in their numb hands. Draco was glad to see some famililar faces. People who came yesterday were coming back for more, and that could only mean good things for the business.
Draco found that going through the motions of making coffee took his mind off draker things, and he found it oddly soothing. Growing up, Draco had never done anything independently, it was his father for money, the house elves for food, but never himsef for anything. In the the years after Hogwarts he found there was no one to depend on, so he had to do everything alone. This was only slightly damaging to his psyche. He was paraniod, but he had a natural instinct when it came to who was trustworthy, so his time spent avioding death never drove him insane.
Things were difficult for Harry, too. That much was obvious. When he had time to think Draco often wondered about where all of Harry's friends had gone off too. Draco had never fully grown out of childish envy of Harry and when times were dark and cold he'd often entertain himself with ideas of what Perfect Harry Potter's future life would be like. They always included half-naked blonde girls and private islands with colorful drinks and colorful birds. Never once had he imagined Harry as a bachelor in sweat pants, his windows facing out to the slate gray skies of London. It just didn't seem right.
But then, he never pictured his own life to be anything like it was now.
And with that thought, Draco felt something blossoming in his chest that he had never expcted to feel. Was it regret?
When the last of the costomers had trickled out of the shop Harry and Draco said good-bye to Berkley and made there way to the underground in the rain, huddled close together and silent in their exaustion.
They reached Harry's apartment at about ten o'clock, stumbling and leaning on each other for support. The fell on thecouch in tandom, with Draco's head on Harry's chest and Harry's arms wrapped around Draco's shoulders, both pairs of feet hanging off the side.
"Damn I'm tired."
"Mmm…"
Draco had a two thoughts before he fell asleep, the first being that he would have to owl a hell of a lot of people tomorrow if he wanted to re-assemble the Order of the Phoenix. The second thought was, that for the first times in months, no years, dispite everything that had happened, he was happy.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It took until Saturday for the kink in his neck to go away. Everytime Draco sleeps on a couch he swears it would be the last time, but it never is. It also took until Saturday for him to get any repiles back from all the owls he and Harry sent.
A few had decline, a few were dead, but most of them would all be here in Harry's apartment.
Tomorrow.
It was the calm before the storm. Just one of those days where they only think anyone wanted to do was lay on the carpet and ponder the meaning of life, or maybe just ponder the ceiling you were staring at.
"Potter?"
"Yeah?"
"You know more about me than any other person that I've ever met."
"And?'
"And I think it's time that you did me the same favor."
"Just what is it you're asking?"
"Why don't you use magic?"
"It's a long story."
"Yeah well, you and me are just full of those. So tell me."
"You remember the final, battle, right?"
"Every night in my dreams. Or nightmares."
"Well okay. That was when it happened. Remember how Hermione came up with the idea of water changing the effect of the killing curse?"
Draco nodded.
"And how the final battle took under the Lake. The set me up as bait, lured all the Death Eaters under Water, so the Dementors couldn't follow and then were trapped, because only our modified wands could work?"
"Yes, Potter, I was right there. Would you get on with it already?"
"Well, see, that's when it happened. It was just me and Voldemort, or at least, that's what I thought. I didn't count on the goddam Giant Squid taking my goddam wand."
"You're fucking kidding me."
"No."
"You're lying, you've got to be."
"No."
"So lemme re-cap. You're under one hundred and fifty kilos of water, without a wand, and the world's most powerful Dark Wizard is right in front of your face?"
"Yes."
"Okay, so go on."
"Well, I knew a little bit about wandless magic from some book Hermione force-fed me and Ron. So I thought Icould try it. Only, I didn't factor in my proximity to the bottom of the lack. Normally, I'd take power from myself, and send the killing curse to Voldemort, basically pulling his life force out and letting it dispense into the surrounding area. But see, I was really close to the center of Hogwart's power, ya know, all the stuff that keeps it together. Everyone who has ever cast a spell in that school, everyone who's graduated, they left a little of their power behind. All the healing spells and the concealing spells all of that, I pulled it through. Instead of pulling the magic from me, I pulled the magic from Hogwarts."
"Ouch."
"Yeah, you're telling me. All of that power killed Voldemort, but it didn't stop there. It ran through me and fused into my veins. Something went very very wrong, and now, if I cast even the tiniest summoning spell, Hogwarts will cease to be."
"That doesn't make sense. How does that work?"
"I don't know. Hermione is doing some research, but she's busy, she doesn't have enough time to take care of her crippled friend."
"So you do keep in touch with her? What about Weasley?"
"Yeah. I keep in touch with both of them."
"Are they married?"
Harry snorted.
"Jesus Draco. I'd have never taken you for a romantic. You're not the only one that's changed since Hogwarts, you know."
"So I'll take that as a no?"
"Ron is just about as gay as they come."
"Oooh. You and him ever hook up?"
"Like I'd tell you!"
"Well okay then."
"Are you nervous about tomorrow, Draco?"
"Terrified. Terrified they won't want to help."
"If they don't, I'll help you."
"Hmm yes. A team of cripples versus the Death Eaters. Sounds like a very Gryffindor plan."
"Well, I am Harry Potter after all."
Draco wondered if it was weird that he felt comforted by this
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
NOTES: Aw boy! I updated. Sorry this is so short, but I did answer some questions. Leave some feed back, kiddies. Oh, and read my other short stories that I'm quite proud of. Just check out my profile thingy. Thank you to all my great reviewers for putting up with the fact that I rarely update. But I do love you guys! Thank you so much for reading my stories. I'd say that there are only 3 or 4 chapters left. Next chapter, I've get to bring in every body's old favorites. And possibley Ron's boyfriend…