CHAPTER SEVEN
[Youth]
DRACO
Draco wakes suddenly, eyes flung so wide each iris is a perfect orb of turquoise silver. After a second or two his head turns like some Halloween dummy, mouth slackened, "What the hell?'
Potter was standing over him with a smug look on his face. The pillow he had just used to smack Draco awake was cradled under his arm while a platter of food was held up by the other.
"Sleep well?" Potter asked, raising the corner of his mouth to a smirk.
"Bugger off." He groans, sitting up and rubbing his eyes clear of sleep. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the harsh sunlight filtering through the curtains.
"What time is it?"
Potter places the food down on his bedside table. "Nearly afternoon. I tried to wake you earlier but you wouldn't budge."
Draco nearly had a heart attack right then. Father was definitely going to kill him now! He had planned to sneak in, grab Potter's things without getting caught, and get back safely to the manor without missing the...meeting.
Shivers ran up his spine as he remembered the call from last night. First in the alley with Potter and the second as he had been preparing to sleep.
The pain has an unpleasant warmth to it, eating at Draco's stomach. There's nausea too, just enough to make him hold onto the table for support and breath slow. He didn't even realize he had fallen until another spike up pain blossomed in his head. He often prized himself in ignoring pain and just rocking on regardless, but that just wasn't possible right now. It owned him, dominating every thought, controlling every action.
"Malfoy...?" A voice rings out from somewhere. It was fuzzy but he can barely see the outline of a brunet boy shaking him. Without meaning to my body curls into something fetal, something primeval and all the while the pain burns and radiates.
He-who-must-not-be-named had to be seething. He had never experienced this much pain before that wasn't the cruciatus curse. They must have found out that Harry was no longer at his relatives. They had been planning an attack for months. Draco smiled weakly through the pain. He had somehow outwitted the monster who had destroyed his life without even trying.
Another jolt of pain was sent through him as he convulsed on the ground. The dark lord was calling for a meeting for the next day. He needed someone. He needed…
"FERRET!" Harry yells, smacking him across the face again with the pillow.
"Will you stop with the pillow!"
Harry hits him again, messing up Draco's hair even more in the process. "No, it's only fair. I've been trying to get your attention for the past three minutes."
Draco glares at him. "I was...thinking."
Draco took the time to notice how healthy the boy looked compared to yesterday. The bruising on his face were now only a faint yellow and the mismatched cuts that had littered his arms were beginning to become small pink scars.
"I don't have time for your thinking. I need my wand."
Draco stood up and patted his hair back down. He was fully awake now after several full blows to his head. "And how do you suppose we do that? Just march straight up to their doorstep and knock asking if you can have your stuff back? No, you need a plan."
Harry huffs. "I know that. And I do." Draco lifts an eyebrow causing Harry to roll his eyes. "We just need to get them out of the house for an hour or two. Then we can just climb in through my window. It doesn't have locks on it anymore."
"...anymore?"
Harry hesitated. "Yes. None of the windows do. They couldn't figure out how to open the windows and ended up switching up the hinges."
Draco knew he was obviously lying but didn't push farther.
"Well that's a great plan. Let me just take a shower and we'll be on our way."
Harry perked up. "Really?"
"No you fool! You haven't even told me how you would get them out of the house yet!"
Harry's nose scrunched up in annoyance. Draco would have said it was cute if wasn't already to distracted by the problem at hand. Besides, he felt a tiny bit guilty for yelling. But he did just smack him over the head.
"You could have just said so. No need to be a git about it."
Harry sat back down on his bed and started swinging both his legs underneath him. Draco was surprised even his limp was almost non-existent.
"We can slip a few fake tickets in their mailbox to a wrestling show in the city. They'll believe anything. If we're lucky, they'll get a hotel and not come back for the night."
Draco thought it over. He was smarter than people gave him credit for. They'll get Bramble to cast an illusion spell over some paper and they'll be off. He'll be lying if he said he wasn't curious to see more on how the boy lived.
He voiced his thoughts to Potter who agreed. The two of them went downstairs to get Bramble. She quickly agreed, apologizing for not recognizing Harry sooner (which made Potter flush), and even offered to let them use her owl.
When all said was done, their only issue was that they now had to wait for nightfall. They had time to waste. Well, Potter did. Draco's mind was uneasy at the thought.
"I still need to get my school supplies for 6th year." Harry mentions, "but I can't be recognized. Dumbledore will have a fit if he found out I left the Dursley's early."
"Even knowing how they treat you?" Draco asks surprised.
Harry shrugs. "I have no idea what's it to you, but yes. It's for the greater good. Besides, as soon as I leave you'll probably have the Prophet up here taking your story on how the Boy-Who-Lived is abused by his aunt and uncle."
Draco flinched at how easily the words 'abused' came out of the boy's mouth. Greater good my arse, Draco thought, he could have died Before the dark lord ever even got to him.
"I've told you already Potter. I have boundaries. And plus, I'm coming with you."
Hie eyes widened a little bit. "What did you say?"
"Why, do you halve ale in your ears? I said I'm coming with. Do you expect me to sit around and do nothing all day? I need some proper clothes as well." Draco huffed.
"Well...I guess." He looked down at himself. "It couldn't hurt to get some new clothes myself either." Harry slipped on his shoes, no doubt thinking about the blonde's last night.
"Does Bramble know any Disillusionment Charms that still allow me to see myself?"
"Surely. She's a very skilled witch. There was to be something."
וווווו×
And surely there was. A quick 'Diviorpus' charm sent the boys in Diagon Alley safely.
Only the two boys would be able to recognize themselves. If anyone else looked in direction, they would see a red haired boy with freckles scattering his face and a blonde with buck-like teeth walking side-by-side.
Let's just say Malfoy did not enjoy getting the shorter end of the deal.
"Calm down Malfoy. No one can recognize you beside me so I don't see what the big deal is."
"I'm a ginger, that's what! Couldn't she think of anything else?!"
"Would you rather be recognized?"
Draco grumbled under his breath but moved on.
The crowd has a life of its own, the vibrant clothes shine in the afternoon sunlight and the people move like enchanting shoals of fish. There is chatter between sellers and buyers, old friends catching up, new friends made. It's busy for sure, but the hustle and bustle brings a life to the tiny alleyway Draco wouldn't want to be without.
Harry looked up from the paper that the school supplies were written. They had just left Gringotts (which they both had to cut their palm a little and bleed out to prove it was them) so each of them had a nice stack of galleons to last them.
"We should get clothes first and the books last as they'll be the heaviest to carry. We can take multiple trips if necessary."
As the two started back down the street to find a clothing store, Draco had to say it felt oddly pleasant not having glares or insults follow him. He felt...free.
Harry grabbed his hand and pulled him inside a store called Chlodmer's Cloaks and Clothing. A tinge of pink swept across his cheeks at the sudden action.
The inside of the store was a sensory overload compared to the bland exterior. Vibrant yellows and reds popped from every direction. The walls were plastered with posters showing off flashy. clothing in every direction. Exotic hats and robes on shelves called for his attention as well. He didn't know where to look.
The store keeper behind the counter greeted the two warmly. He was a man in his late forties dressed in a long black robe that reminded Draco of his godfather. "What can I get you two boys today?"
"We're just looking for some casual clothing and a new pairs of Hogwarts robes. Do you happen to have anything?"
He smiles. "Of course. What houses?"
"Gryffindor and Slytherin, please sir."
The man raises an eyebrow. "An unlikely relationship."
Harry looked down at their interlocked hands and quickly dropped them. His face quickly grew beet red along with Draco's. "Oh- we're not- we don't-"
"Don't worry child." he cuts him off. "The wife was in Slytherin. No need to fret."
The two were embarrassed into silence as they followed the man to the back of the store. Draco made sure to put a good distance between themselves just in case.
"Right, well. I'll leave you two to it." He says; making his way back to his counter.
A heavy silence settled over Draco and Harry, thicker than the uneasy tension in the atmosphere. Unsettled eyes glanced unceremoniously around and tried to avoid catching other glances.
A loud cough attracts his attention. "Well... I'll be over here if you need anything." Harry gestures towards the right side of the room. Draco awkwardly nods and turns the other way.
Curse that stupid bat.
וווווו×
Draco had since wandered off from getting a new uniform and to the more casual clothing the store provided. He had to contain his excitement at all the muggle wares they had. They had a very unique fashion.
Besides the clothes he was wearing now, he had never worn something that wasn't meant for a wizard. Just looking at the stuff felt like a small act of rebellion and any second now his father would be dragging him back to the manor to punish him.
But he wasn't. No one would even recognize him.
He felt a genuine smile grow for the first time in months.
He picked up a burgundy shirt of a rack and held it up to himself in the mirror. It was a red turtleneck that he thought looked nicely with the pair of pants he had picked out earlier.
He was about to add it too the pile when a voice came out of nowhere, causing him to nearly jump out of his skin.
"I thought maroon and brown didn't go together?"
Draco turned around to see the face of smirking Potter the second time that day. He swore he could have strangled him right then and there.
"Don't do that!" He hits Potter on the back of the head. "You almost gave me a heart attack in the middle of the store!"
Harry crossed his arms. "I'm just trying to figure out why you're in the muggle section if you despise them so much."
He scoffs and quickly comes up with an excuse. "They're just clothing, Potter. Why should there be a difference?"
"I don't know. Just thought it was interesting to see you over here."
Draco rolls his eyes but shuts up in hopes the other would leave him alone. Sadly, that was too much to hope for.
The brunette walks over to his pile and lifts a dark green flannel for full view. He turned around and lifted and eyebrow. "Green? Really?"
Before he could stop himself, he opens his mouth to reply. "Try it on."
"Wait, what?"
"Try it on, we don't have all day. It matches your eyes."
"O-oh." Harry's face quickly turns red. He starts walking towards the changing room but Draco grabs his sleeve.
"Wait!"
"What this time?" Harry scrunches his nose.
Draco goes looking back in the pile and pulls out a regular black shirt. "Put this on underneath it and leave the other shirt unbuttoned."
"Oookay…"
It was minutes later that Harry came back out of the dressing room. Draco had to stop himself from staring. There was no point in denying it. Potter was downright attractive.
His cheekbones weren't especially high and his nose was a little too long to be perfect, but there was an undeniable symmetry to his features and perhaps that's what held Draco so captivated. The dark green brought out his color in his eyes just as he thought it would. They were the glimmering color of emerald, sparkling in the light above like a fresh sheen of morning dew.
"Nice," was all he managed to get out.
"Was that a compliment Malfoy?"
"Don't let it get to your head."
