It had been two months since he had met with Malfoy. Before that point he'd only rarely thought of his archrival and when he did it was always more of a passing thought- easily disregarded. Things had changed.
Harry had gone to Malfoy manor to resolve one issue of his life, only to be ensnared in a whole new predicament. He was coming to realize, to his dismay, that he Draco Malfoy was inescapable. He was everywhere- in every newspaper, bar conversation, and political debate. It seemed that Malfoy had more influence than Harry did!
Though, realistically that was hardly a shock. It had been four years since they had both lived within Hogwarts walls. Malfoy had gone on to fill his father's footsteps in the business world, while Harry had done… very little. He knew he was young and had his whole life ahead of him, but sometimes he felt like he'd already accomplished his purpose in life.
The wizarding world was, unsurprisingly, very forgiving of their savior's inaction. They seemed to agree with his thinking that he deserved a few years of peace now that he'd rid them all of the menace that had plagued them for years. But recently, people had begun to wonder if he might ever get back on his feet and become the person they all thought he ought to be.
Harry had mostly ignored them, caring little whether he lived up to their standards or not. No it was not the public that hassled him, it was Hermione.
She and Ron had wasted no time once school was over. They had gotten married the summer after the war with less than a two month engagement period. He had never known Hermione to be so impulsive. Though Ron had wanted to start having children right away, Hermione had insisted that she finish school before any of that happened. They had gone off to get her CATTs (Certificate of Achieving Thaumaturgical Talent) in the Netherlands and only recently returned. She was now among the top most educated wizards and witches in the ministry and was considering running for office.
However, her current project was Harry. She believed that he was a in a rut and needed some direction. He'd tried telling her that he was content- that she should just leave him alone, but that had only been met with a calculating gleam in her eye. He had been set up on a blind date the next week with the explanation that he had been alone far too long and that it was for his own good. Yes, Hermione was definitely more of a concern than the public.
Now he was troubled by something even more pressing. Lately, it almost seemed as if Harry was drawn to any and all things Malfoy. He found himself frequently looking through the paper. He went to Diagon Alley more. He purchased a subscription to magazines. With each venture he'd assured himself that it was good for him to read the news and get out more, but he couldn't rid himself of the underlying reason to each action. Every time he read Malfoy's name he felt that breathe on his cheek. Each time he went to Diagon Alley, he strained his ears for that patronizing laugh.
Draco Malfoy had never once been kind to him. He was nothing but a snobbish pest, but he could occasionally (and only occasionally) be a… pleasant pest.