Draco Malfoy's therapist, a Muggle-born witch, told him to create a bucket list of things he wanted to experience before he died. Taking her suggestion very seriously, he sat down, nibbling on the tip of his quill, grimacing when he got ink in his mouth.

He wiped the ink away as he thought about what to add to the list.

The number one thing on his list would probably be the hardest one to do and one he did not think he even had the guts to attempt, though he wrote it down anyway.

'Ask Harry Potter out on a date.'

It was five years since the battle and he and Harry were friends now. It happened surprisingly over the years, ever since they were forced to share a dorm room when they returned for their final year at Hogwarts.

Against all odds, Harry was the person Draco cared about the most in the world, and he felt like they could be considered best friends, though it was embarrassing to even put it into words like that.

They hung out, talked openly about deep things, laughed, goofed off together, and were a constant in each other's lives now.

The problem? Draco had fallen in love with Harry. Hard. Face first on the concrete floor and yes, it was painful.

They were walking along the sidewalk. Draco's head was in the clouds. He sighed several times, thinking he was doing a great job of keeping his turmoil on the inside, but he should have known better. It had been a long time since he was able to properly mask things around Harry.

"Something on your mind, Draco?" Harry asked. He stopped walking and tugged on Draco, to force him to stop as well. Harry dropped his hand and looked at him. The fondness Harry didn't try to hide was obvious, but he looked at all his friends that way.

"You know, the past sometimes sneaks up now and again," Draco half lied.

"Tough session?" Harry asked. After every therapy session, Harry came to pick him up. One day, Draco walked out after a crushing session and Harry was just there as if he knew he would be needed.

"Father stuff," Draco mumbled. That part was not a lie. He was always drained when the topic of his father came up. "About how…"

"You don't have to tell me, Draco."

Draco smiled. "I don't mind. We've told each other so much private stuff over the years. Unless…" He trailed off, frowning. "If it's a burden to share-"

"No," Harry said. "Oh, no, I'm sorry if it sounded like that. It's not at all a burden. You can tell me anything, Draco. I just don't want you to think you have to share info about your therapy sessions."

Nudging Harry's side, Draco laughed softly. "This is good for me. She told me that it is. I'm not doing it because she suggests I should, even though she keeps saying I need to open up to more people, I'm telling you this because I want to."

'Because you're the only one I can trust with my deepest regrets, my deepest pain, and when I break down in front of you, you don't judge me.'

"I feel the same way." They started walking again, their shoulders brushing, and their fingers lightly touching. It would be so easy to do something that Draco had on his bucket list. He wondered how Harry would react.

'Hold Harry's hand. Bonus points if he holds my hand first.'

Draco inwardly laughed at how he wrote down that desire. It was kind of childish, wasn't it?

"Pay attention," Harry warned when a car zoomed dangerously close to Draco, who hadn't realized he almost strayed into the street.

Glancing down, Draco almost did a double take, because Harry had indeed grabbed his hand. He blinked. This wasn't exactly how he envisioned this happening, but a win was a win. One more thing to check off.

Why wasn't Harry letting go?

"Sorry," Draco murmured. "I'm frazzled, I guess."

"Switch sides," Harry said, letting go of Draco and making him walk on the side furthest from the road. Draco almost whimpered at the loss of warmth he had felt from Harry's hand.

"Still got a Savior Complex, I see?" Draco teased. He got a playful shove.

"Shut up, wouldn't want your pretty face splattered all over some poor Muggle's bonnet."

Draco blushed and was about to have a comeback, when he tensed, feeling their pinkies brush together. His heart flipped in his chest when Harry curled his pinky around his.

Somehow this felt way more intimate than fully holding hands.

It didn't mean anything. Harry was overly affectionate with all his friends, including Draco when affection was called for. Ever since the war, everyone has been more open about showing they cared for each other.

'I should have put hold pinkies with Harry on my bloody list.' Draco swallowed. He gave Harry a sideways glance. Harry looked back and smiled.

"You ready, Harry?" Draco asked.

Harry shivered, biting down on his lower lip. They looked at the house on Surrey. The place where Harry grew up. The place where he was neglected, abused, and never shown any love at all.

"I don't know. I just want to see if Dudley turned out okay. He's our age, so he probably won't even be here," Harry said, rubbing a hand through his hair.

"You sent him a letter?"

"Yes, I don't know how he'd react to having an owl suddenly show up. I instructed the owl to only give it to him when he was alone, though."

The house was dark, run-down, a scar. Harry frowned as he looked at it. "It doesn't look like anyone lives here anymore."

"Hm," Draco said, unsure of what else to say.

There was a shuffle and then a cough. They looked over the overgrown hedge and saw a man, larger than them, but still fit. Draco saw Harry's eyes widen.

"You… I didn't think you'd come," Harry said quietly. "You look good."

Dudley stood up from the rust-stained lawn chair and looked at the two of them. Awkward tension suffocated Draco, so he knew it had to be worse for Harry.

"You did it then?" Dudley finally spoke. "Beat that… whatsitface?"

Harry nodded.

Dudley swallowed. "You never returned, so I thought you died."

"I did die," Harry admitted. "For a little bit, but I came back."

"Oh," Dudley seemed at a loss for words. He glanced between Harry and Draco.

"Oh, this is Draco, a friend from school."

"Hello." Dudley glanced at the way they were standing close, at the way their pinkies were curled together, but didn't comment.

"I don't expect anything from this," Harry said, "I just wanted to see if you were okay and let you know I was… if you wanted to know that is." Harry looked down.

Draco looked between them. They were two men who grew up in a toxic household. They both left that with deep wounds. Their childhood trauma was different, but it came from the same source. He wondered if they realized that.

"I wanted to know. I'm…" Dudley walked closer to them and held a hand out. "I've done some growing. I'm not my parents, Harry."

Harry shook his hand. "You look healthy."

"Is that your way of saying I'm not that fat anymore?" Dudley asked, a small guarded smile on his face. "You look good, too. Fed." Dudley looked down and frowned.

"Yeah, I am. Fed, I mean."

Draco was out of place here, but he knew Harry only asked him to come, because they both grounded each other, which was why Harry probably linked their pinkies in the first place.

"Are they doing okay?" Harry asked. Draco wondered if he really cared. Part of him probably did. Draco still loved and hated his own father. He bet Harry felt that same feeling for his aunt and uncle.

"Uh, last I heard, yeah, alive and all that." Dudley rubbed his arm in nervousness. "I don't see them as of late."

They talked a little longer. It never stopped being awkward, but Draco could tell it was something they both needed and once this was over, he knew they would probably never see each other again. Harry and Dudley were just glad the other was alive and well, but it would be too hard to be in each other's lives.

Harry had told Draco that Dudley's bullying had been horrid and all his friends joined in on it. It was physical. Brutal. Far worse than Draco had ever treated Harry, even with hexes.

That was why they couldn't go back. Dudley might be changed now, but they couldn't be a family.

He thought Harry would be sad about this, but he was smiling as they walked away. Draco moved his hand so that they were fully holding hands again.

"How does it feel?" Draco asked.

"Good. Closure."

That was what Draco thought. He smiled at Harry and nudged him in the side. Harry laughed and nudged him back.

"You told me he was huge."

"He was abused, too. I was underfed and he was overfed, among other things." Harry shrugged. "As a kid, I couldn't see that overfeeding was just as unhealthy as underfeeding. I'm glad he was able to get healthy."

"Will you ever see each other again?" Draco asked cautiously.

"I don't think so. I'm happy with the family I've found. I do hope he finds his own family, though."

Harry stopped walking and turned to Draco. "Thank you, Draco. You've been so grounding for me."

Draco's cheeks grew warm. "Uh, well, the feeling is mutual."

"Have you told Harry about your bucket list?" Pansy asked. She leaned against Draco and snapped her bubblegum, making him cringe.

"No."

"Why, you're so close now. Don't you share everything, sweetie?" Pansy asked, smirking. "I know…you can't because he is on the list, isn't he?"

The blush confirmed her suspicions. "Oh, Draco. Just grow some balls and do something. You used to be so direct and confident."

"That was all play-acting, Pansy! Now I have real feelings for someone" Draco groaned, throwing himself on his bed.

"So dramatic. Show me the list."

"Die."

"No, thanks."

"Leave me to wallow in self-pity, Pansy."

"Never. If you don't say something, I am going to recruit Hermione." Pansy laughed when Draco threw a pillow at her. "Oh, come on, if I can see it, she knows you're in love with Harry."

"Don't you dare," Draco said, sitting up. "I will… ugh, you're right!" Draco groaned, throwing himself back on the bed.

"Are you a child?" Pansy jumped on his bed and tackled him. "Then let's be children." She grabbed one of his pillows and hit him. "Get. Off. Your. Ass. Draco," she said, hitting him after each word.

"Make me."

"I think you have a weird twisted pillow kink. Why are you letting me beat you up?" Pansy asked, hitting him again, pouting when he gave no reaction.

"I'm wallowing, didn't you hear me?" Draco grabbed the pillow from her and buried his head under it.

"Fine, I'm going to firecall Hermione and tell her everything. You need all the help you can get."

Draco whimpered, but didn't reject the idea.

Hermione stepped out of Draco's fireplace, feeling utterly confused. She looked at Pansy, who was grinning at her like a demonic hippogriff.

"Draco is in a tizzy," Pansy said. "Tell me you know how he feels about…" She let the question hang there, raising her eyebrows. As much as she joked about doing it, she wasn't going to out Draco.

"Oh, that. Yeah, we all know. Except Harry."

Pansy rubbed her hands together. "Good and you know about Harry, I assume?"

"You do as well?" Hermione asked, just to be sure.

"Yes, Merlin yes!" Pansy snorted.

"Idiots," Hermione said fondly.

"I know," Pansy said, her tone just as fond. "Anyway, Draco is having a tantrum. I give up. It's your turn."

Hermione walked into Draco's bedroom. He was buried under several pillows and a couple of blankets. This gave her a clue as to what he must have looked like when he was pouting as a child.

"Draco, you okay?" Hermione asked, walking over to the bed and sitting down.

"Menh…" Draco said, not coherent at all.

"Can you try again?"

"I'm fine, " Draco grumbled. "Pansy is just nosy. Leave me."

"You know we all care about you? You know we're all family now. We can't just let it go when we see how upset you are." Hermione went to put her hand on his back, but wasn't sure where it was. Draco was a huge blanket lump.

"You know, don't you?" Draco whined. "Pansy has a big mouth."

"She didn't tell me. Draco, you don't hide it very well."

"Ugh!" Draco groaned. "I hide it damn well if Harry doesn't know. He's just as smart as any of you."

Hermione smiled. "He's clueless. Trust me. About this kind of thing at least."

"What do you suggest?" Draco mumbled. "I don't want to hurt the friendship we built."

"Just say, 'Harry, you know I was so obsessed with you at Hogwarts, well, I couldn't regulate my emotions, you know how that is, anyway… let's go on a date?' and then take it from there."

"You Gryffindors think it's so simple!"

"Did you forget what house Pansy was in?" Hermione laughed.

"No, but she sure is acting like meddling Gryffindor."

"She was right, you are having a tantrum. Draco, go! Life is short. Take the chance. Please. If he rejects you, sure, it will suck, but then you can start the moving-on process. At your current state… ugh!" Hermione threw her arms in the air. "Just do it."

"Fine, but help me out of here. I'm so deep in this pile of pillows and blankets, I think I met a cave troll."

Smiling, Hermione started to dig him out. A flushed, disheveled Draco met her gaze. He flushed and crossed his arms.

"You saw nothing!"

Hermione's advice was easier said than done. But fuck, he was tired of pretending. He was in love with Harry. He couldn't go forever not knowing if there could be a possibility of them being together.

Now, standing in front of Harry in his flat, all he could think about was what Hermione told him to say.

'Ask Harry on a date.'

"What's wrong, Draco?"

'Ask Harry on a date.'

"Uh…"

'Do it, dumbass!'

"I mean…the weather's nice. Fuck." Draco laughed, though he wanted to cry. Just a little.

Harry blinked. "Yeah, but I don't think that is what you wanted to say."

'Ask Harry on a fucking date.'

"Molly still trying to set you up on blind dates?" Draco asked, cursing himself for not staying on the topic he wanted to. Well, he was on the topic of dates, so it half counted.

"Yes! She just wants me to be happy, and can't understand why I'm not interested." Harry pressed a hand over his face. "She's on Ginny's case, too. Being single and a member of the Weasley clan is dangerous."

Draco chuckled. "It would seem so. So just find someone to go out on a date with and put her mind at ease. Just one date to start, you know? Dinner, movie, or whatever."

"It's not that easy. I don't know. The whole famous Harry Potter thing still follows me even after five years."

"Hm," Draco mused, walking closer to Harry. He put a hand on his shoulder. "So you need to find someone who isn't blinded by your fame?"

"Yeah, that's the ideal situation," Harry answered quietly.

'Do it. Right now. Be casual, be confident. Remember how to be confident? Ugh…'

"Harry, y-you could…" Draco stumbled over his words, "...maybe goonadatewithme."

"Was that Whelsh?" Harry asked.

"Oh, Harry, it was the language of fools."

"Fools? I'm so confused."

"I'm trying to say I am a fool because I don't know how to ask you on a date and I probably will never ask you, so now I'm just babbling nonsense. What were we talking about?" Draco shut his eyes and took a deep breath. His therapist would probably say his outburst was a breakthrough. He felt like he was going to die, so what did she know anyway?

"Draco, did you just ask me on a date?" Harry asked, his eyes wide and his cheeks flushed.

Opening his eyes, Draco saw the state Harry was in and felt a small bit of hope blooming in his heart. "Maybe… but only if your answer is yes, otherwise, I was talking about…the moon landing, or whatever."

"Can wizards have dates on the moon?" Harry asked, grinning. Draco shook his head. "Shame."

"So did I ask you on a date or was I talking about the moon landing?" Draco asked. The hand on Harry's shoulder was shaking.

"Date. You asked me on a date and I said yes."

"Oh, good."

'Ask Harry Potter out on a date,' could now be checked off. But Draco added a bonus item to his bucket list. 'Figure out how to get to the moon so we can have a date there.'

Hermione and Pansy received owls later that day.

To Hermione & Pansy,

I'm sending the same letter to both of you.

Thanks for meddling, you absolute menaces.

Hermione, any idea how to get to the moon?

Love,

Draco