Modern No-Magic AU Drarry

Chapter Thirteen

Ron: why must u find the hardest way to includ a fuckin gif dude wtf

From up in his room, Harry could hear Draco speaking softly about something to do with cars and budgets, but his tone was very different to how he spoke to Harry. It was more professional, as Harry would expect, and considerably less snide, but it was still a strange difference to behold.

Eventually, while texting with Ron and Hermione and simultaneously keeping an ear on the conversation downstairs, Harry heard the creak of the old couch as people stood up, and the sound of papers rustling and being gathered into a pile.

Harry: wait i think theyre leaving. should i ask him about it

Ron: why cant u just be glad hes gone man

Hermione: Do whatever you want, Harry. It should be okay no matter the outcome

Ron: yea fine whateva

From his position, Harry was able to see an expensive looking car parked on the street. He knew that his aunt and uncle wouldn't let him go outside, so he had to take his second-most travelled route: the window.

Draco took a deep breath, glancing back at the front door. Are those really the people Harry was forced to live with? That man with his disgusting moustache and his low-level comprehension of basic budgeting? That woman who wouldn't stop pointing out how his father did things differently and just perched on the edge of the armchair like she was ready to strike as soon as Draco fumbled? Draco shuddered to think about spending more than an hour in their presence.

"Hey."

Pretending that he didn't just jump out of his skin, Draco smoothed down his blazer. "Please, Potter, I understand you're used to lazing around but must you dirty my car with your week-old shirt? Get out of my way."

Self consciously bunching his large sleeves around his elbows, Harry set his face in an expression that Draco knew all too well: he wasn't going to give up until he got what he wanted. "Where have you been?" And then he added, making Draco almost lose his stone-faced composure, "Was it really my fault?"

Figuring he had nothing else to lose, Draco sighed, looked away from Harry's pitifully concerned face and hesitantly began to explain. "At my new job. Unlike some of you, my parents have some inkling of pride about their public reputation... all my father heard was that I was at the stupid staff party. It's not the worst he could have heard, so I got off lightly."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I suppose you'll never find out, will you?" Draco's eyes glanced up and looked past Harry's shoulder. "Do you usually have government officials watching over you at night, lingering in the dim-lighted streets?"

"What?" Harry turned around.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Save it, Potter, they're not here anymore. They left very quickly once they saw a car approaching." Straightening his posture, Draco made an attempt to push past Harry and reach to the car door, but Harry didn't budge.

"Will you be coming back?"

For a fleeting moment, Draco looked at the other boy's face. Does he actually... care? Harry's green eyes reflected the soft yellow glow of the street lights, and the determined crease between his eyebrows made Draco long to be honest with him. But... if there was any chance of Draco's father getting wind of this...

Drawing in a deep breath, Draco opened the car door and swung himself in. "I don't see why you care, Potter. You never have before." He began to close the door but a firm hand stopped it.

Seeming to have conflicting thoughts, Harry glared at something that wasn't Draco's face but still didn't let Draco close the door. "Just because you're an obnox- just because you... who says I don't care?" He shifted his glare to Draco who for some reason couldn't move. Couldn't look away, even though he willed himself to put his hands on the steering wheel and drive off as fast as he could.

"Who says you don't care?" he repeated, almost a whisper, entertaining the feel of those words.

The tension in Harry's eyebrows released the tiniest bit.

Clenching his jaw, Draco looked through the front windscreen. "I don't know, Potter, maybe something about your never ending flow of comments making you more unlikable by the second and how people flock to you for guidance when you don't even know how to look after yourself."

Blinking, Harry tried to process what Draco just said.

"Now can you please close my door?"

"Oh. Er, sorry." Clearing his throat, Harry took his hand off and shut the car door, letting Draco take a sigh of relief, not appreciating the excited energy buzzing through him as he watched Harry back away from the car. 

In complete silence, Draco put the key into the ignition and drove down the street, hating himself for staring at Harry in the rearview mirror.