"M . . . Malfoy?" he asked bewildered at the sight of the white blonde haired man sitting at the table. The room was decorated in green and silver, Slytherin colors. He had to admit it did look better than drab brown. He looked up from the cup of tea he was sipping and looked almost as surprised at the sight of the raven haired man. He then reclaimed his voice and said
"Hello Harry"
Harry noted that he still had the same gray eye's. His normally slicked back hair was cut short. The last he'd heard about Draco was that he was playing Quidditch professionally for the Tornadoes.
"Have a seat" he offered
But Harry didn't stir, he wasn't about to let his guard down and sit and talk about his many problems with his former enemy.
"Please" he offered again
Harry reluctantly sat down. Malfoy was being more than accommodating, maybe he'd changed. There was silence for a while between the two.
"I imagine this is a little uncomfortable" Draco finally said
Harry scoffed "You think?"
Draco laughed, Harry had always liked his laugh. "Yeah a little for me too"
"I, I thought you were with the Tornadoes"
"I never really cared for Quidditch" he admitted "My dad really pushed me into that"
"Oh"
"Contrary to what you believe"
"What you made me believe" Harry interjected
Once again he chuckled "Contrary to that, I am much different now than I was at Hogwarts"
"I can see"
"Of course you know about the confidentiality clause, this room is under strict silencing charm, so nobody but me can hear our conversation" Draco explained
"Um yeah"
"Shall we start?" he asked
Harry chuckled nervously "Um, to tell you the truth I . . . I'm quite reluctant now"
"I don't see why" Draco told him "What happened at Hogwarts, happened at Hogwarts. I was young and stupid then"
Harry didn't stir though, one of his problems was that he never trusted in people fully.
"If you have a problem with this, I guess I could transfer you to"
"No, No it's just a little weird for me"
"Believe me it'll get less weird" he reassured "Is there anything in particular you want to talk about?"
"Uh" Harry took a deep breath "Ron and I had an argument on the way here. But I'm sure you'll hear about it in Wizards Daily, or The Daily Prophet, or The Quibbler or . . . something"
"Ron Weasley . . . your partner?"
"Yeah" Harry sighed
Draco cleared his throat to cover what Harry assumed to be a scoff.
"You have something to say about Ron and me"
"No, no of course not. I'm not allowed . . . but . . ."
"But what?"
"Isn't Mr. Weasley known for his um . . . temper?"
Harry sat back in his seat "Um . . . yeah but which one of us doesn't get upset once in a while?" he asked in defense of his lover
"Point well taken"
"Anyway we were fighting on our way here, of course we were being trailed by the paparazzi. I just hate them sometimes"
He sighed and looked over at the slim blonde. He was writing down things occasionally, but mostly he was just . . . listening. Malfoy, Draco Malfoy . . . listening, to him, complain at that! That very discovery made him laugh out loud.
"Something funny?" Draco asked staring at Harry bewildered
"No, well, Malfoy . . . I mean Mr. Malfoy I mean"
"Call me whatever you're comfortable with" Draco instructed
"Ok, thanks . . . Malfoy, you just never struck me as one to listen to anyone's complaint's, let alone my own. I know you said that you've changed, and I can see it clearly. But I can't get the 'old' you out of my mind. I mean you hated me, and whether you know it or not, you've left a lasting impression on me. In way's . . ." He sighed deeply and ran his fingers through his dark hair "I guess you'll know now because . . . you're my . . . therapist?"
"I know I was a bastard in school Harry . . . Can I call you that? This is casual right?"
Harry nodded and he went on
"But the truth is, I used to be so jealous of you, I wanted to be you" he admitted
Harry raised his eyebrows "I wasn't expecting that"
"I'm telling you this because I can't expect you to share with me and not share myself"
"I understand"
"But, I've grown up. And I hope you can see me as the man I an today. Because that's who I am now. I'm hoping we can come to an understanding about that, I see you as you are now and all I ask is that you see me as I am"
Harry nodded, he could respect that.
"Do you mind if I ask you a question though?" Harry asked
"Not at all"
"Aren't you a death eater?"
Draco stiffened in his chair and coughed "No. Just because my father was one, doesn't mean that I am one"
He nodded once again, seeing he'd touched a nerve he decided against asking any more questions, for now. Their session began again, and both men talked as if there had never been anything bad between them. The awkwardness that was there in the beginning quickly faded. Leaving both men to realize just how cool the other was now. Draco found that the glamorous life he had once assumed Harry possessed wasn't so, and that he was more than the tabloids portrayed him to be. And Harry had found that Draco gave answers and advice that no other therapist had ever given him before, that truly the 'old' Malfoy was gone and the 'new' one was superbly cool. He'd always assumed that Draco was just a pretty face and a superior sneer, yet during their talk he quickly found that he was much more. He was almost sad when their two hours were up.
"Looks like we'll be spending a lot of time together Malfoy" Harry said smiling as he got up and stretched
"We will" The blonde smiled back
"I'll see you on Thursday"
"Not Thursday, Saturday, if that's ok with you?" Draco rescheduled "Around three"
"Ok" he answered forgetting all about the game with Ron "Saturday it is"
They walked to the door together "All right then"
Harry gave the man another smile then walked off giving Allie a wink on his way down the stairs. A strange sort of feeling erupted inside of him starting in his stomach and working its way up, tickling his ribs.
"Butterflies?" he thought. It was the sort of feeling he had gotten almost every day when he and Ron had first gotten back together, before . . . everything else. But he couldn't have a crush on Malfoy . . . could he? He hadn't since their sixth year, before he and Ron had first gotten together. But that was all, and he'd long suppressed those feelings. A thunderclap brought him back from his thoughts, and the rain began to fall heavily as he reached the door.
"Great" he grumbled
"I know" Ron said apparating next to him with the trademark whip cracking noise
"What are you doing here?" Harry asked
Ron stepped into the rain and spun around "A great day for a walk!" he exclaimed coming back and slinking his arm around his waist, pulling him close "Plus I told you I'd pick you up"
Harry wriggled out of the hold and looked at him condescendingly.
"What are you still pissed"
"What do you think? My back is killing me"
They ventured outside protected by an umbrella, and not saying anything. After a few blocks Ron took Harry by the hand and led him into a side street, the same side street where their fight had occurred, and embraced him.
"I'm getting wet what are you doing?!"
"Listen, I'm sorry ok?" Ron said
"You're always sorry"
He tried to pull away, yet Ron refused to release him. "Look, I get jealous ok? I don't like when everyone's all over you. I'm afraid you might one day realize you're too good for a Weasley, and want to leave me" he gently traced Harry's perfect lips with his thumb "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you. I almost did before. It was the worst feeling ever. You and Hermione mean the world to me ok?"
"Listen, You don't have to worry and you don't have to be jealous. I'm not going anywhere" Harry informed
The sly redhead nodded and kissed him tenderly "You're mines right"
"Yeah" Harry confirmed
Ron smiled "Good"
"Take care of that business you had?"
"Yeah . . . but right about now why don't we go home? I've got some more personal business to take care of"
They kissed and then apparated home together.
