CHAPTER 12
He had forgotten dessert! How could he forget DESSERT? That was supposed to be his specialty! THAT was what he had felt missing! Only when Draco asked him oh-so-not-subtly for dessert did he realize he had forgotten. He wanted to please the blonde, so he suggested going to Fortescue's for dessert.
They arrived there and Harry reluctantly let go of Draco's hand. Draco took one look at the parlour and his eyes lit up with excitement. "Well, are you just going to stand there? I want some dessert!" Draco whined, with a bit of pout. Harry's heart melted at how cute Draco was acting just then.
Once they entered Florean Fortescue's new ice cream parlour, Draco immediately dragged Harry to get his sundae. Draco being a Malfoy, obviously chose the most exotic things and got a sundae. Harry stuck to good old chocolate overload.
Watching the blonde eat was very entertaining. They didn't talk, but just looking at his face made Harry feel content and happy. They never spoke, but it was clear that Draco was enjoying his dessert. Whenever he put his spoon in his mouth, he closed his eyes and was apparently letting the taste flood his taste buds. Draco's reaction got Harry very intrigued. The sundae started to look more and more enticing, and finally, he decided he had to have a taste. When Draco's eyes were closed, he quickly took a spoon of ice cream from his bowl. Before he could put it in his mouth, a hand caught his wrist. Harry looked up, his mouth open, into stormy gray eyes. "Just what do you think you're doing with my ice cream?" he asked coldly. Harry tried to stifle a laugh. "You could have a bit of mine you know?" he replied, pointing at his chocolate ice cream. Draco narrowed his eyes and took a bit. Harry quickly stuffed the ice cream in his mouth. The taste was very rich and exotic. He tried to take another spoon but Draco stopped him again. He tried to take a bite of his own, but Draco stopped him again. "But that's mine!" Harry protested. Draco's glare softened and he sighed. "I can't choose between the two." He said decisively. "Have both." Harry replied, being the perfect Gryffindor he was. "No, I won't. I'm pretty sure my stomach will be upset after eating your food." Draco said, sounding forlorn and looking at the ice cream.
Harry felt a sharp pang of hurt. "If you didn't like my cooking you could've said it directly before you started eating, you know. I wouldn't have minded." He said sourly, stirring the ice cream around.
"Oh, I didn't mean to say that your cooking was horrible, though to be honest I did actually think you couldn't make anything edible before I arrived. The food was amazing. Literally the best thing I've ever eaten so far."
He looked up and saw the truth in Draco's eyes. "Then what did you mean that your stomach will be upset?" he asked quizzically. Draco froze. "I'd rather not tell you." He murmured, giving the ice cream his attention. "Why not? I need to know what I did to make Draco Malfoy sue me." He said trying to calm him with a joke. Draco looked up. "OK. But not here. Not in public." "Grimmauld place?" "No. My place. Maybe then you'd understand."
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Draco Apparated them out of Fortescue's ice cream parlour to his own. He had never expected the truth of his past to surface, and he didn't want Harry of all people to find out about it. But he had hurt the other man unintentionally, and that tore his heart. And he was a Malfoy; he couldn't lead a person around for no reason.
He hesitantly switched on the lights, and looked at the floor, not wanting to see Harry's reaction. Draco felt no movement, and heard no sound. That seems to be a good sign, he thought. He felt a hand on his shoulder and lifted his face to see Harry's face. His face was filled with sympathy, and not pity as he expected. "How do you live here?" he asked softly.
Draco knew the house was in a pretty bad state, but he didn't like Harry's tone. It had housed him well for a long time (along with his magic). "Hey! My home doesn't like your tone Potter." Draco said, attempting to lighten the mood. "Oh I'm sorry, but I never expected Draco Malfoy to live anywhere less than a palace." He quipped back.
"Fine, make yourself comfortable. I'll make some tea. This story's going to take a while." He said, going to the kitchen corner.
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Harry's eyes widened. Draco Malfoy, heir to the Malfoy fortune which couldn't be stored in a vault twice the size of his parents' lived in a tumbledown barely furnished flat! AND most of the appliances were Muggle! He had a few Muggle appliances at home too, but he NEVER thought DRACO of all people would have such appliances in his house. He saw Draco make his way to the kitchen and busy himself with pots and kettles. Harry didn't bother removing his coat. The place was pretty cold. He noticed a fireplace at the end of the room but it looked like as if it hadn't seen coal or any other fuel for a very long time.
He made himself comfortable at a very worn sofa and drank in all the details of the flat. If he messed up, he mostly wouldn't be welcome here again, and he wanted to be intimate with the place Draco called home.
There wasn't much to the flat. The paint was wearing off and mouldy wood peeked out from the otherwise dirty wall. The place looked old, but it was clean. Not a single fleck of dust was visible to Harry's Auror trained eyes.
The blonde soon appeared with two mugs of steaming tea. "Oh, I'm sorry. I normally use Warming Charms instead of lighting an actual fire. It helps to conserve money. I am on a very tight budget." He said without making eye contact and handed over the mug. "What happened?" Harry asked, genuinely interested about how a Malfoy came down to such a level. He also felt a pang of sympathy towards Draco. The Dursleys may not have treated him well, but he had had a good roof above his head and good food (even if it was less in quantity) supplied.
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Here goes nothing Draco thought and started his tale. He tried to make eye contact, but the expressions on Harry's face frightened him and made him feel a bit better. He noticed how Harry's eyes widened with horror about his punishment, his eyes gleaming with anger, like as if he felt Draco and his mother didn't deserve that fate. His green eyes softened when he told Harry about the sentiments that drove him back to London. A small smile quirked his lips. "So here I am, in a somewhat okay flat that is kept together by magic with a small allowance each week that helps me get through the week. In a month, I will be finishing my internship and hopefully, will become a member of the Wizengamot. If that happens, then I can bring Mother back to England in a few years. Of course, I will be getting a better house too, but yeah, it all depends on how I do my internship." Draco said.
"I'm so sorry. It's all my fault you landed up here. I should've made sure you didn't get such a harsh punishment. Your mother did save my life after all. I was too caught up with… other work to realize it. Please forgive me. How can I make it up to you?" Harry asked intently, his green eyes wide with regret and hopefulness.
Maybe letting me know that you're into me too, Draco thought, taking the question literally. And suddenly, he saw Harry gasp, his beautiful eyes wider than he had ever seen it before recoiling a bit away from Draco.
"Did I say what I thought out loud?" he asked the black haired man with a wince. He had had that problem for quite some time, and now was a very bad time for it to resurface. Harry nodded his head fervently, his glasses bobbing on his nose due to the force. With a sigh, Draco opened his mouth to deny whatever he had said, and to say that he was joking (and not trying to feel the pain of his heart shredding to pieces) when his half open mouth was assaulted. By a pair of lips. Attached to the face of one Harry Potter.