Chapter 17
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet and days of auld lang syne.
Song - Auld Lang Syne, by Hannah Miller
17 December 2005
Draco
"Are you ready for this?"
Harry shrugged it off, walking along the cold suburban pavement towards Dudley's flat. "It's only dinner with my cousin. What's there to be ready for?"
Draco grabbed Harry's arm. It was rigid, the tension in his shoulders making his muscles practically solid. "Stop it. You don't have to put on some kind of brave face here. It's me. We've talked about this."
"Sorry," Harry said, his voice low and sounding guilty. He let out a long breath. "Really. I'm sorry." He walked over to a low, brick wall someone had edging their garden and sat down. "My brain is telling me all the things that could go wrong in there tonight. I know they're not realistic, but they're still worrying me."
"That sounds like my brain all the time. It's called anxiety, Harry. It's normal for things like this, but you can't listen to it."
"I know." He looked up at a little red bird in a barren tree with icy branches. "I always felt kind of like that bird when I was in that house growing up, you know? Like everyone around me looked a certain way, behaved a certain way, was a certain way. But me, I was that red bird standing out amongst the rest of the world. I felt like people could see how different, how weird, I was from far away without even trying."
The little bird flew away, and Harry sighed, staring at the empty branch.
"And Dudley, he used to point out those differences. I mean, all kids do that. It's natural, I think, to point out differences when you're a kid, isn't it? They even teach you to do that in nursery school. Which shape doesn't belong? Which one is a different colour? Which one doesn't fit? And it was me. I wasn't the right shape or colour or fit. I didn't belong."
Draco took Harry's hand and squeezed.
"It bothered me. It doesn't now, not really. But there were so many years of that feeling, of not belonging, and then I see him again and, Bam, it's back."
"You belong to me."
Harry smiled. "I do, don't I?"
"And don't you forget it." Draco turned so he could look at Harry. "Your cousin seems like he wants it to be different. But even if that's not the case, I'm there. If you're uncomfortable, we'll go. You're not twelve years old anymore, and there aren't bars on the window and a trace on your wand. You can leave at any point."
Harry seemed to think about it a moment, then nodded and stood. "Let's do this."
"And then a pudding fell onto the woman's head. I thought Dad was going to pop a vein." Tears of laughter were pouring from Dudley's eyes, but Harry didn't appear to find it as amusing.
"It wasn't me, though. It was a house-elf." His voice was low and soft, but before Draco could step in, Charlotte seemed to notice Harry's reaction as well and deftly changed the subject. Draco wondered if it'd be a breach of etiquette to hug her.
"I still can't believe that all these little creatures you're telling me about are real. That magic is real. I mean, Dudley told me everything and you've shown me, but it just feels like a dream."
Harry smiled. "Imagine learning about all this at eleven."
She sighed wistfully. "It's really amazing, Harry." She looked at Draco and caught his eye, then nodded at the kitchen. "Draco, would you mind helping me with tea and cake?"
Draco glanced at Harry, but he'd moved on to a discussion of football with Dudley, so it seemed safe. "Sure." He helped gather the dishes and followed Charlotte into the kitchen, setting everything next to the sink. She took out the tea kettle, filled it, and put it on the hob.
"Thank you. I think Dudley needed a few minutes alone with Harry." She looked uncomfortable for a moment, as though she were carefully weighing out her words. "Dudley's shared with me what things were like for them as children. Especially for Harry." She watched Draco carefully and seemed to find whatever it was she was looking for. "I can't imagine what he went through and how he's turned out so lovely."
"He's had a tough road." Which was true, and Draco didn't think that was really sharing anything too private.
She reached her hand out and laid it on Draco's wrist, giving it a little squeeze. "I'm glad he's found someone to be there with him. I can tell you love him very much."
Draco straightened his shoulders, inordinately pleased at her observation but also discomfited by the candid comment. "Yes, well, Harry's a good man."
She smiled gently. "I believe you are as well. I'm looking forward to getting to know you both more. God knows it'll help to have some part of Dudley's family I can stand to be around."
Draco laughed, relaxing as the conversation changed direction into safer territory. "I've not met them. Are they are horrible as they sound?"
"Worse. Marge is the worst, of course, but Petunia judges everyone and everything she sees and is quite vocal in her opinions about it all. And of course, that includes me."
"Oh, wow, I'm sorry."
Charlotte shrugged. "Dudley's worth putting up with it. But we're looking at houses at a comfortable distance from Surrey. Not so far that they feel the need to move closer, but far enough that they don't just drop by."
"You're a wise woman. Just be glad she's not magical and can drop in whenever she likes from anywhere in England."
She looked horrified. "You can do that?"
Draco chuckled. "We can, but the important thing is that she can't."
Charlotte grinned. "Thank heavens for small miracles."
When they reentered the room, Dudley and Harry were still talking, but the last remaining tension seemed to have dissipated. They both sat in a similar posture, one leg stretched out before them as they leaned back in their chairs. Charlotte appeared to see the resemblance too and shot Draco a knowing smile.
"Who's ready for cake?"
"I thought perhaps we'd play cards after," Dudley said, taking the tray from his fiancée. "Maybe play Bridge?"
"Bridge?" Draco asked. "What's that?"
Dudley grinned. "Ah, Draco, let me teach you, and then if you'll lucky, someday you'll get to play with my mother."
"Dudley, don't threaten the man," Charlotte admonished, and everyone laughed. "It's just a card game played with two sets of partners. I think you'll like it."
"Harry? Shall we stay for Bridge?"
Harry smiled. "Yeah, I think we will."
A/N: Have you ever wondered about the meaning of Auld Lang Syne? It's an old Scottish poem and tune. I checked several different translations, and this one seems to be the simplest to follow.
Should old acquaintances be forgotten?
And never be remembered?
Should old acquaintances be forgotten
and days long ago.
For days long ago, my dear,
For days long ago
We'll drink a cup of kindness yet
For days long ago!
It seemed fitting for the chapter.
