An Interference of Portraits

An Invitation to a Party

I have to admit, I was very taken with the idea. I could imagine friends sharing warm evenings with me and I really liked the idea. I wondered, briefly, if Molly would relinquish her hold on the family Christmas dinner and I could have everyone here.

'I've seen a lovely champagne-coloured sofa in a shop near Draco's house. We could go and see it tomorrow. It's got that kind of antiqued look to the velvet but it's very deep cushioned and with a buttoned back. I think you should have three matching ones with the coffee table from the Snug in the middle.'

I watched Neville who was far away in thought, I didn't think he was even aware of the conversation happening around him as he walked out of the room.

'But the table in there has my jigsaw on it,' I said to Luna, puzzling over Neville's behaviour.

'Well, you'll have to do your jigsaws in here. Then you'll be certain to use both rooms,' she said. 'I do think you should see these sofas.'

'Okay, we'll go and see tomorrow,' I sighed, feeling very tired and a little overwhelmed.

'Especially as you need to get things finished now,' said Draco, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.

'Apparently, I'm having a party here before the Ministry Gala Dinner on the 31st July. I'm feeling slightly bullied in my own home.'

'Oh no, Harry, you mustn't feel bullied,' said Luna. 'It is a lovely idea and all your friends and extended family will be able to see the hard work you've been putting in here and we can help celebrate your birthday properly. But only if you feel it up to it. You must decide on that, we can't do that for you.'

'It just feels like an awful lot of pressure. I was enjoying sorting things out at my own pace,' I said, sitting on the windowsill and looking across the huge empty room.

I could really see Luna's vision for the room and I spent a moment just trying to envisage the sort of sofas she had described set up in a u-shape in front of the fire.

Luna and Draco watched me silently. Draco looked puzzled.

'What's Neville up to?' I asked, changing the subject.

'Oh, probably thinking about your garden,' Luna said.

'Perhaps we ought to go and find him,' I muttered, worrying about The Portraits in case they had waylaid him.

I was relieved to find he hadn't gone down the stairs; he was in the Snug, looking out of the window.

'Oh, hi Harry,' he said, as I joined him. 'I was just looking at what you've got out there.'

'A mess. But I need to leave it until next summer. There's too much to deal with in the house first. And I haven't really got the brain capacity to deal with it and as much as I'd like to have somewhere to sit outside and enjoy the space with my friends over the summer, it's not going to happen yet.'

'Actually,' Neville said, 'would you trust me to look at it for you? I've got an idea or two and, now term has ended, I have time.'

'I'd love you too, but you'll need to talk to Dusty,' I said, nodding to the House Elf, just visible at the far end of the long walled-garden. Dusty had lit a bonfire down there the previous evening and it seemed it hadn't stopped burning as he started on clearing the brambles and rotten old trees and then I added various horrible furniture from the Old Library and the broken bits from the piano.

'Brilliant,' said Neville and he disappeared off downstairs with Luna accompanying him.

'You okay,' came a quiet voice behind me. If felt comfortably familiar as Draco stepped up into the space by the window beside me.

'Yeah. Probably just a little fatigued. There's been a lot happening over the past few days, well, since I got back really, and I haven't really stopped. And now this party. I don't do parties, Draco. I'm not that sort of person. I'm just so awkward around large groups of people. It feels overwhelming.'

'It doesn't need to be more than your closest friends.'

'But it will end up being more because Phineas N. is right, I should invite Minerva. And if I invite her, I should invite Hagrid, and probably some of the other staff too. And I have to invite the entirety of the Weasley family. And I haven't been to see Molly yet, and I know I should but I can't quite face the fuss. And if I invite the Weasleys, that means their partners, naturally, so that means Pansy and Blaise too. And you, of course. But will they be okay with me? And then there's Nev and Hannah, and Dean and Seamus. But then I get into trickier ground because I definitely ought to invite Xenophilius. But should I invite your parents? Which makes me feel a bit uncomfortable because of Dean being held at the Manor. And, also, I will absolutely be inviting Andromeda and Teddy. And really, I'd like whoever remains from the Order. And suddenly the whole thing has escalated beyond belief and then I'm already worrying because, despite how you and your mum are being treated by the Press as heroes, how will your family actually be accepted by those closest to me, and what about your mum and Dromeda...?'

'Hey,' said Draco softly, steeping marginally closer so his arm pressed up against mine. 'I said I'd help. And I should think my parents would be beyond delighted if you invited them because that smacks of a forgiveness I shouldn't think they can imagine. And, if it helps, I know mother has written to Aunt Andromeda and I think father has written to Dean to apologise and explain the situation. And everyone else will just be happy to see you and be grateful you invited them. And I should think Luna's right that people will want to see what you've done here.'

We watched in silence as Neville and Luna carefully edged along a narrow path that Dusty had managed to clear through the undergrowth. When they reached Dusty and his bonfire, there seemed to be a lot of animated discussions going on, and then some wandering, well, more like clambering, to other parts of the garden, and then pointing, and more discussions, and more pointing.

'Looks like Neville is taking your garden in hand,' Draco said quietly and I was very conscious that his arm still touched mine.

'I wonder how Dusty is taking that.'

'More importantly, how will you take that? It's your garden.'

'I'm not sure I care at the moment.'

'Well, is there anything you particularly want from it, when it's finished.'

'Somewhere for Teddy to kick a football around or to fly on a training broom when he's old enough. That's clearly not relevant at the moment. Flowers... lights... and, most importantly, a space to sit and eat and have barbeques with friends in the sunshine.'

'I've never had a barbeque,' Draco admitted.

'You haven't!' I turned towards him.

He mirrored my action, his eyes impenetrable as he said drily, 'can you really imagine my father with his sleeves rolled up and cooking his own dinner on a barbeque?'

'No, I suppose not. We should immediately remedy your lack of barbeque experience. Well, when I can actually get in the garden.'

We were stood a little too close together and I watched as his gaze flicked between my eyes. He took a deep breath and turned back to the window so I turned back too.

We stood in silence for a while, just watching Neville, Luna, and Dusty tramp around the garden. It was a strange sort of silence, filled with suspense.

'I probably ought to head off,' Draco said eventually, though he didn't sound like he felt any urgency to leave.

'The others are coming in now.'

'Yes, I'll cajole Luna along. Thank you for dinner again, Harry. And for last night, I'm not sure I thanked you in my drunken haze.'

'I enjoyed it,' I said. 'Both nights. I'm glad things have changed between us.'

'Yes,' he said quietly.

I didn't look at him as he moved away because I was afraid of what he might see in my eyes, if he truly looked.

'Harry,' he said carefully. 'Things will work out.'

When I turned to ask what things, he'd already left.

***