You Jump, I jump
Written by StrawberryGirl87
Hogwarts no longer feels like home, it is time to move on but Harry has nowhere else to go. Standing on the precipice of uncertainty he finds a helping hand from the most unlikely of people. Someone who is willing to stand by his side when things seem bleak.
Chapter Nine
When the two of them appeared in Godrics Hollow they were still stood facing each other, both hands joined and the eye contact unbroken. Harry didn't even stagger as they landed and feeling hugely proud of himself for this he smiled giddily at his companion. Draco had no idea why he was grinning like an idiot but he liked it. Seeing Harry smile was more beautiful than he could describe with words.
Glancing around the village, Harry found that it looked different than when he had been here with Hermione. It had been Christmas Eve the last time he was here, the snow had been thick and deep on the ground. The air had been crisp, their breath had hung heavily in front of them as they had ventured into the unknown, always aware of potential dangers and on alert for it. This time Harry felt more at ease, he stood in front of the house where his parents had been murdered, holding the hands of the man he cared for within his own. A feeling of euphoria encompassing him like nothing he had felt before.
Summer still hung in the air. It was nearing lunch time and the sun was high in the sky warming them as they stood perfectly still, gazing at one another. Draco was the first to turn and look at the house, breaking the eye contact. The ruins of the cottage stood proud and tall, part of the upstairs gone, blown away on the night of the attack and never repaired.
Together, still hand in hand they moved toward the ominous building that had been the site of Voldemort's first downfall when Harry was only a baby. Harry was the one to reach forward and touch the gate, watching as the memorial plaque rose in front of them, declaring the house a monument of the epic war against the Dark Lord Voldemort.
"Are you okay?" Draco asked as they stood staring at the dilapidated building. Harry however wasn't sure how he felt. He hadn't really expected anything to be here when he came with Hermione but now he just felt numb to it. This had been the place that his parents had died but he had spent so much time at Hogwarts, the place they had lived and fallen in love he didn't feel any real connection to the cottage where they had lost their lives.
"I think so," Harry responded thoughtfully, "Walk with me up to the village, I'd like to visit their graves now." Draco nodded and with a final glance over the once beautiful home that Harry should have been brought up in as a happy and loved child they turned and left.
Very few residents remained here, Harry pointedly avoided looking at the house where Bathilda Bagshot had lived as they passed it. He didn't want to remember the horrors that had happened there. Draco noticing his avoidance of the building decided that on this occasion he would respect Harry's wishes and not pry further into why. It was clearly not something that he wanted to discuss. Whether it was to do with the first time he had been here as a baby or the second in the hunt for horcruxes it wasn't up for discussion today.
Up in the town square Draco was astounded to see a war memorial in the centre. He had had a vague idea that the house would have remained standing in memory of the Potter's and the sacrifice that they had made but he had no idea that Harry Potter and his parents had a statue of themselves here as well. If he had known this though he knew that as an arrogant young boy he would have tormented Harry for it. He was some ways glad that he hadn't known about it before today.
He stood staring at the beautifully made memorial, the happy and smiling faces of Lily and James Potter as they cradled their young son in their arms, together. Draco was struck by a sudden sadness that he would never get the chance to meet them, only their graves, the place they had been laid to rest. It saddened him because he would have liked to know them, if for no other reason than to thank them for bringing Harry into this world, someone he was learning slowly that he couldn't ever live without again.
They didn't say a word as they paused only briefly at the statue, swiftly moving silently past it and heading for the church. Harry went first through the kissing gate, pausing on the other side to wait for Draco, thinking of how he could ask for a kiss before allowing him through and the magical tradition of the gate would demand that it be done before Draco was permitted entrance. He very quickly shook that thought from his mind, Draco didn't want to kiss him and even if he did that was not how Harry wanted their first kiss to be.
"It's beautiful here," Draco said as they wandered through the cemetery, their second in as many days. This however was no Malfoy family resting place covered in white roses and cherry blossom trees with every head stone carved in white marble. Some of the names here were worn and old, it was an ancient resting place, traditional and grey. It was still every bit as beautiful and peaceful here as the place where Cassie had been laid to rest.
"Yes," Harry agreed as he led the way through the church yard, following the winding dirt path which was uneven under foot. Finally coming to a stop Draco knew that they had reached their destination. A double breasted headstone carved with Lily and James' names and their dates of birth and death.
Harry hadn't been expecting it to affect him as much as it did, a wave of emotion hit him and he was unable to control himself, tears falling from his eyes in floods. Draco stood to the side of him for support and said nothing, allowing him to grieve for what he had lost. The first time he had visited Harry hadn't had the chance to let his emotions take over, he couldn't afford to be distracted and the Slytherin could understand that he needed to do this now when he had no burdens weighing him down.
Harry might not have known his parents as people but Draco understood that the tears he shed were just as much for the life he had lost when they had died as the death of his parents. He would never know them or the life that he could have had if Voldemort hadn't decided to kill them.
The church bells began to chime noon behind them and a chorus of cheers erupted from the front of the church breaking the silence that they had enjoyed. Draco turned his attention to see what was going on and saw a couple, clearly a bride and groom, exiting the church. Harry had turned too and watched curiously as their guests threw confetti over them in celebration of their nuptials.
"If I'm ever lucky enough to find someone and get married then I want it to be here," Harry said suddenly as he watched them share a brief but happy kiss.
Draco turned to look at his companion curiously, "Any girl would be lucky to have you," He said quietly, trying to keep his attention on the departing wedding party rather than the waver in his voice at the mention of Harry falling in love with a girl. The thought of harry marrying anyone or even loving anyone that wasn't him made his feel sick to the stomach.
"Yeah," Harry muttered dubiously, "Any girl," But didn't say anymore on the subject, turning back to his parents. "Draco, do you mind if I just sit here a while, it might be boring for you but you're welcome to stay. I wouldn't mind."
"I know," He said with a fond smile, understanding what Harry needed, "I'll leave you for a while. I'm going to go and get a Daily Prophet, see if I can find somewhere for us to stay for the night. It might be nice to stay somewhere wizard friendly for the night."
Harry grinned, nodding his agreement. "Thank you," He said to the Slytherin as he had turned to leave. He genuinely meant that too, he had never been more thankful of anyone, not even Ron and Hermione. Draco just seemed to understand. He didn't argue, he didn't second guess him, they just existed together harmoniously.
"You're welcome," Draco returned. It was heart wrenching to willingly walk away from Harry again but the Gryffindor needed time alone with his parents. Draco respected him enough to give him that even if he didn't like being apart from him.
He did manage to find a Daily Prophet and went to sit in the pub for a while, allowing Harry the space and the time that he needed. Draco actually found himself glad that he had because as he had been flicking through the paper, ignoring the fact that the front page still declared Harry as a missing person, he had seen the notification of Severus Tobias Snape's funeral and in small print beneath the notification declared that it had been Hermione Granger to put it in this edition, something that the paper never usually included.
Draco understood however that it was clearly the only way she could think of to get a message to them safely. He couldn't help but be impressed with her intelligence, he'd always been jealous of it before but now that he wasn't in direct competition with her he could sit back and just admire her brilliance.
Folding up the paper he decided to ask Harry if they could go. It was to be held the day after next so they had plenty of time to do whatever Harry wanted while in Godrics Hollow before they left. He thought that them attending would have been the purpose for Granger posting the notification in the first place and was grateful that she had thought of it. Draco wouldn't have been able to cope very well if he had missed it.
Severus had been his Godfather and had protected him and treated him more like a son than his own father had over the years. He wanted to go so that he could pay his last respects to the kind, brave man that he had known. He just hoped that Harry could understand this as it would mean a high risk trip into the wizarding world.
Draco was sure that Harry would have ways of disguising himself without the use of brewing a polyjuice potion which would take a month, time they didn't have. While at the pub Draco booked them a twin room again. The bar tender had looked at him suspiciously but Draco had been nothing but polite and even paid the man half of the room rate in advance to keep him sweet.
Slowly ambling his way back to the church and the graveyard he enjoyed the sunshine on his skin and how it warmed him. He may not have liked being away from Harry but the past few days had so far been the happiest that he had experienced in a long time. Happiness had never been something that he had strived for as a Malfoy, content simply with survival. Harry had shown him that it didn't have to be that way. He had shown him that there were other emotions other than gut wrenching fear and sadness.
Living with his crazy Aunt for a torturous period had taught him many things, he had seen things and even done things that he wasn't proud of but Harry was helping wash all that away. Draco smiled as he lent against the wall next to the kissing gate, musing about kissing Harry here, wondering if he dared but deciding that he didn't. He was emotional over his trip to visit his parents and Draco didn't want to overload him.
The image of him masturbating in the shower was still fresh in Draco's mind, it was sight that he wasn't going to forget in a long while. Every time he closed his eyes he could see Harry stroking his shaft, bringing himself to orgasm.
"You okay?" Harry asked startling Draco out of his erotic day dream making his pale cheeks flush a brilliant scarlet. Harry rose an amused eyebrow at the Slytherin's reactions, smiling a little but not questioning his reaction.
"Um, yeah, fine, you ready?" He asked feeling a little flustered and Harry nodded that he was, coming through the kissing gate and together walking towards the pub so that they could get some lunch, together.