Chapter 3:: The Embrace
The two weeks spent at Ron's had come and gone in an instant. There were 2 days left before they all had to go back to Hogwarts. This meant, that there was shopping to be had, books to be bought, and clothing to be washed.
Ron, Hermoine, and Harry had decided to go together to Diagon Alley and get a few things that they needed for school. The morning was crisp, but the excitement of the following year didn't falter. Harry had separated from the group, and started to walk along the street busying himself by looking into store windows and marveling at all the new items that had been stocked up since their last visit there. Harry emerged from a store carrying a small package. He was looking down at it and smiling and didn't notice who he was walking into. Harry walked headfirst into Draco and stumbled back. Neither of them had been looking forward and had both received a jolt when they collided.
Draco had the same haircut, but wore a face that was different than it was when Harry last saw him. He seemed to mature over the summer. It looked as if he had been through a great change in his life. Harry pushed it aside.
"Hello Pot – err... hello Harry." Draco corrected himself; his silver eyes still seemed to be cold. Since his complexion was so fair, Harry could see that his cheeks were turning a light shade of pink, obviously from the fact that he had just walked right into Harry without knowing.
So he had received the letter.
Harry blushed and smiled at Draco. "Hello Draco. How are you? Have a good summer I suspect."
Draco merely nodded as he responded, "I'm fine. Summer was... fine."
Harry could tell that something was bothering Draco by the tone in which he answered Harry, but he didn't dare push the matter any further. He just looked into those beautiful silver eyes and smiled.
"Good then. Excited about this year?" he asked as they turned and walked back in the direction that Harry had just come from.
"Yeah, I suppose." Draco was looking in another direction. He was watching a woman help her son pick out his very first broomstick, Draco was smiling. He then turned to Harry, with the reminisce of a smile still on his lips. "And you?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty excited. It's our seventh and final year Draco! After this, we'll be fully qualified. Though it will be sad leaving everyone at Hogwarts after graduation..." Harry sighed.
"Possibly. I don't know how many people I would miss when we leave. Maybe a few people..." He looked purposefully away from Harry and into the sky.
Harry looked up as well. There was nothing in the sky but clouds. He then looked at Draco and noticed that his cheeks were turning pink again. Harry smiled to himself. What had gotten into Draco? Why was he blushing?
Draco suddenly down and at the little box Harry was holding. "What's in there?"
"Oh... it's nothing, something I hope to give to a friend. That's all."
"You hope to give it to? Who's the friend?"
"Yeah. Well... I don't know if h-" Harry stopped himself "If they will accept it. That's all."
Draco noticed that Harry decisively left out whom the friend was. It didn't matter, whatever the gift was he was sure that it was small, and cheap. Harry decided to change the subject.
"Did you get the letter that I sent you?"
Draco stopped in mid-stride. "Yes." His voice wasn't as strong then as it had been before hand.
"Honestly Draco, what is wrong with you today? You don't seem like yourself." Harry managed to say as Draco abruptly turned the corner into a store.
Harry turned and began to follow Draco. He was determined to find out what was wrong with him. Harry stopped. Then it dawned on him... maybe he had lied when he said he didn't have feelings for him when he wrote the letter. Maybe he was secretly hoping that Harry had feelings for him, and denying it was his way of finding out. Stupid way to find out Harry thought to himself. Still, he had an idea.
Draco had stopped and was looking at a small moving figurine of a werewolf. He was no doubt reminded of Lupin, and began to walk up the stairs to a rather secluded part of the store, which contained books that no one was interested in. Harry took this chance to follow him up into the room. As he entered the room, Draco simply stood reading through a book. Harry walked up behind him and placed a tentative hand on his shoulder. Much to his surprise, Draco didn't move. He didn't flinch at the touch, or try to walk away. He just breathed a little bit faster and tried to control himself.
"Draco, what's wrong...?" Harry walked around in front of Draco to see that his eyes were brimming with tears. He was holding the book upside down. "Draco...?"
Draco looked up from the book and moved his head gracefully to face Harry. "What?" he managed to say in a hoarse voice, holding back the tears.
"What's wrong with y-" Harry whispered, but was cut off by Draco dropping the book and nearly falling into Harry arms. Draco started to cry uncontrollably with racking sobs. Harry wasn't quite sure what to do, so he put his arms carefully around the crying boy. Harry's heart was beating so fast that he felt like it was about to burst from his chest. He hoped that Draco wouldn't feel his heart pounding underneath his shirt. Harry and Draco stood in an embrace until Draco stopped crying. Harry took his arm and walked over to the chairs that were standing in the corner, the boys sat down.
Draco began to wipe his face with his cloak. He looked up at Harry and was startled at the amount of emotion that was in his eyes. Harry was concerned about him. He didn't think that he would be...
"I'm sorry..." Draco whispered gutturally and cleared his throat. He looked down at the wooden floorboards blankly.
Harry blushed "It's alright... What's wrong though?"
Draco shifted in his chair. Harry was sure that he was going to get up and leave. "My... my mother just... err... recently died..." Draco was stifling back another sob and looked up at the ceiling praying that if he did that the tears would go back into his body.
Harry sat in the chair for another moment and ventured to say that he was sorry, but knew that he wasn't the cause of Draco's pain, so he decided against it. "Oh..." was all that he could manage.
Draco looked over at Harry and smiled, a tear escaped and began to roll down his cheek. "Thank-you for not saying that you were sorry. I hate it when people say that." He managed a small laugh.
"Err... you're welcome. I think." Harry smiled. Draco began to laugh. Harry just realized that he had never heard Draco laugh before. He had only heard him utter the single syllable "Hah" once and a while. It made him happy to know that he could make the Ice King laugh.
"Harry...?"
Harry looked up from his thoughts and into silver eyes. "Yes?"
"Don't... don't tell anyone about this okay? About my Mum..." Harry noticed that he hadn't asked him to not say anything about the hug they shared. His spirits lifted a little bit as he smiled kindly at Draco.
"Sure thing. Consider it forgotten."
"Thanks..." Draco smiled back at him. He took a deep breath and walked towards the window. "You know, I didn't think that her death would affect me this much. I always thought I wouldn't be upset, considering she was sometimes an ungrateful git." Draco scoffed, very much like his father. "But... she's my mum. When I heard of her death I was completely shocked. I kept thinking they were lying. I kept screaming at them, telling them to not lie about something so serious. I made it back to my room and completely broke down. I couldn't stop crying and screaming. No one came near me for a while..." Draco snorted.
Harry hadn't expected Draco to tell him anything about her death; he wasn't going to ask about it either. He just sat there in silence and listened to him.
"Then when I received your letter... for the first time in days I laughed. You have a talent for that you know, being a moron." Harry was about to protest, but soon decided that it was the truth. "You, out of all people noticing that something was wrong with me. Why did you notice? What made you notice?"
Harry stood up and put his hands in his pockets. "I don't know. I just did. You seemed different, that's all."
Draco walked over to him and stood mere inches from his face. "You know what I said in the letter... about not being a poof?" Harry's heart began to race. He wasn't sure if he should test his voice, so he nodded instead – looking into the silver eyes. "....I lied."
The two weeks spent at Ron's had come and gone in an instant. There were 2 days left before they all had to go back to Hogwarts. This meant, that there was shopping to be had, books to be bought, and clothing to be washed.
Ron, Hermoine, and Harry had decided to go together to Diagon Alley and get a few things that they needed for school. The morning was crisp, but the excitement of the following year didn't falter. Harry had separated from the group, and started to walk along the street busying himself by looking into store windows and marveling at all the new items that had been stocked up since their last visit there. Harry emerged from a store carrying a small package. He was looking down at it and smiling and didn't notice who he was walking into. Harry walked headfirst into Draco and stumbled back. Neither of them had been looking forward and had both received a jolt when they collided.
Draco had the same haircut, but wore a face that was different than it was when Harry last saw him. He seemed to mature over the summer. It looked as if he had been through a great change in his life. Harry pushed it aside.
"Hello Pot – err... hello Harry." Draco corrected himself; his silver eyes still seemed to be cold. Since his complexion was so fair, Harry could see that his cheeks were turning a light shade of pink, obviously from the fact that he had just walked right into Harry without knowing.
So he had received the letter.
Harry blushed and smiled at Draco. "Hello Draco. How are you? Have a good summer I suspect."
Draco merely nodded as he responded, "I'm fine. Summer was... fine."
Harry could tell that something was bothering Draco by the tone in which he answered Harry, but he didn't dare push the matter any further. He just looked into those beautiful silver eyes and smiled.
"Good then. Excited about this year?" he asked as they turned and walked back in the direction that Harry had just come from.
"Yeah, I suppose." Draco was looking in another direction. He was watching a woman help her son pick out his very first broomstick, Draco was smiling. He then turned to Harry, with the reminisce of a smile still on his lips. "And you?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty excited. It's our seventh and final year Draco! After this, we'll be fully qualified. Though it will be sad leaving everyone at Hogwarts after graduation..." Harry sighed.
"Possibly. I don't know how many people I would miss when we leave. Maybe a few people..." He looked purposefully away from Harry and into the sky.
Harry looked up as well. There was nothing in the sky but clouds. He then looked at Draco and noticed that his cheeks were turning pink again. Harry smiled to himself. What had gotten into Draco? Why was he blushing?
Draco suddenly down and at the little box Harry was holding. "What's in there?"
"Oh... it's nothing, something I hope to give to a friend. That's all."
"You hope to give it to? Who's the friend?"
"Yeah. Well... I don't know if h-" Harry stopped himself "If they will accept it. That's all."
Draco noticed that Harry decisively left out whom the friend was. It didn't matter, whatever the gift was he was sure that it was small, and cheap. Harry decided to change the subject.
"Did you get the letter that I sent you?"
Draco stopped in mid-stride. "Yes." His voice wasn't as strong then as it had been before hand.
"Honestly Draco, what is wrong with you today? You don't seem like yourself." Harry managed to say as Draco abruptly turned the corner into a store.
Harry turned and began to follow Draco. He was determined to find out what was wrong with him. Harry stopped. Then it dawned on him... maybe he had lied when he said he didn't have feelings for him when he wrote the letter. Maybe he was secretly hoping that Harry had feelings for him, and denying it was his way of finding out. Stupid way to find out Harry thought to himself. Still, he had an idea.
Draco had stopped and was looking at a small moving figurine of a werewolf. He was no doubt reminded of Lupin, and began to walk up the stairs to a rather secluded part of the store, which contained books that no one was interested in. Harry took this chance to follow him up into the room. As he entered the room, Draco simply stood reading through a book. Harry walked up behind him and placed a tentative hand on his shoulder. Much to his surprise, Draco didn't move. He didn't flinch at the touch, or try to walk away. He just breathed a little bit faster and tried to control himself.
"Draco, what's wrong...?" Harry walked around in front of Draco to see that his eyes were brimming with tears. He was holding the book upside down. "Draco...?"
Draco looked up from the book and moved his head gracefully to face Harry. "What?" he managed to say in a hoarse voice, holding back the tears.
"What's wrong with y-" Harry whispered, but was cut off by Draco dropping the book and nearly falling into Harry arms. Draco started to cry uncontrollably with racking sobs. Harry wasn't quite sure what to do, so he put his arms carefully around the crying boy. Harry's heart was beating so fast that he felt like it was about to burst from his chest. He hoped that Draco wouldn't feel his heart pounding underneath his shirt. Harry and Draco stood in an embrace until Draco stopped crying. Harry took his arm and walked over to the chairs that were standing in the corner, the boys sat down.
Draco began to wipe his face with his cloak. He looked up at Harry and was startled at the amount of emotion that was in his eyes. Harry was concerned about him. He didn't think that he would be...
"I'm sorry..." Draco whispered gutturally and cleared his throat. He looked down at the wooden floorboards blankly.
Harry blushed "It's alright... What's wrong though?"
Draco shifted in his chair. Harry was sure that he was going to get up and leave. "My... my mother just... err... recently died..." Draco was stifling back another sob and looked up at the ceiling praying that if he did that the tears would go back into his body.
Harry sat in the chair for another moment and ventured to say that he was sorry, but knew that he wasn't the cause of Draco's pain, so he decided against it. "Oh..." was all that he could manage.
Draco looked over at Harry and smiled, a tear escaped and began to roll down his cheek. "Thank-you for not saying that you were sorry. I hate it when people say that." He managed a small laugh.
"Err... you're welcome. I think." Harry smiled. Draco began to laugh. Harry just realized that he had never heard Draco laugh before. He had only heard him utter the single syllable "Hah" once and a while. It made him happy to know that he could make the Ice King laugh.
"Harry...?"
Harry looked up from his thoughts and into silver eyes. "Yes?"
"Don't... don't tell anyone about this okay? About my Mum..." Harry noticed that he hadn't asked him to not say anything about the hug they shared. His spirits lifted a little bit as he smiled kindly at Draco.
"Sure thing. Consider it forgotten."
"Thanks..." Draco smiled back at him. He took a deep breath and walked towards the window. "You know, I didn't think that her death would affect me this much. I always thought I wouldn't be upset, considering she was sometimes an ungrateful git." Draco scoffed, very much like his father. "But... she's my mum. When I heard of her death I was completely shocked. I kept thinking they were lying. I kept screaming at them, telling them to not lie about something so serious. I made it back to my room and completely broke down. I couldn't stop crying and screaming. No one came near me for a while..." Draco snorted.
Harry hadn't expected Draco to tell him anything about her death; he wasn't going to ask about it either. He just sat there in silence and listened to him.
"Then when I received your letter... for the first time in days I laughed. You have a talent for that you know, being a moron." Harry was about to protest, but soon decided that it was the truth. "You, out of all people noticing that something was wrong with me. Why did you notice? What made you notice?"
Harry stood up and put his hands in his pockets. "I don't know. I just did. You seemed different, that's all."
Draco walked over to him and stood mere inches from his face. "You know what I said in the letter... about not being a poof?" Harry's heart began to race. He wasn't sure if he should test his voice, so he nodded instead – looking into the silver eyes. "....I lied."