BLIND SIGHT - drarry

Ch. twentyfour

Draco was on his way out the door when the building's manager stopped him. "Mr. Mallow, wait, I have something for you."

Draco braced himself. The manager, Lani, was very nice but she'd gotten the idea that Draco needed tending to and every other day she forced food or household goods on him. Usually it was food. Unfortunately she wasn't a very good cook, but Draco didn't have the heart to tell her that so he had to accept the packages as graciously as he could while trying to figure out a way to get rid of them. His stomach was already twisting at the thought of ice cold lumpia or grease-sodden malasadas, otherwise delicious items that Draco enjoyed when they were prepared by other people. Draco flinched back in shock as something light was pressed into his extended hands.

"You got this letter. The address wasn't in Braille so I thought I would give it to you personally, make sure you got it."

Draco opened his mouth to ask why Lani hadn't just left it in his letter box as usual before she cut him off. "It's from a young man, someone named Harry..." Her voice trailed off and Draco could hear a wheedling note enter it. Lani was a wonderful person, a horrible cook, and an incorrigible gossip.

"If you need me to, I could read it to you. In case you don't want your roommate to see it."

Draco bit back a smile. That was her game. Lani was convinced that Draco and Charlie were lovers and now that Charlie had been seeing Deacon for a few weeks the older woman seemed to believe she was in the middle of some big gay soap opera.

"No, thank you, Lani. I'll just ask Charles to read it to me," Draco said, deflating her excitement in as gentle a tone as he could.

"Well, if you're sure," Lani said, giving up graciously. "I'm going to be cooking a big meal on Sunday so I need to get shopping. I'll bring you boys some leftovers."

Before Draco had the chance to demur he felt her muumuu brush against his feet and heard the front door of the building open and close.

"Thank you." He paused, hoping no one was around before continuing, "But I'd really rather you not." Though Draco didn't think much of the way he was raised in general, he did learn to be civil and he really couldn't bring himself to turn the older woman's offerings down.

His attention turned back to the letter in his hand and Draco brushed his fingers across the paper, feeling his thumb catch on the flap as his fingers found the rough edges of the stamp.

Draco couldn't feel anything on the surface of the letter that would tell him who it was from, and he couldn't think of any Harry that would be writing him. He felt Bogart tugging lightly on the leash and shook his head. "This will have to wait until later," he muttered to himself before slipping the envelope into his shoulder bag.

Hours later he walked back into his apartment with a sigh of relief. It was his first proper day back to work. The children were thrilled to have him back, but Draco was saddened to hear that Peter had been suspended from the program for his behavior and attitude towards Draco and the other helpers. Draco couldn't help but feel guilty for his part in getting the two boys, Harry and Peter, ejected from the program, even if it was just for a temporary period in Peter's case.

He'd gone to lunch with Leland afterwards and it raised his spirit's a bit, but he was still tired and disheartened as he stepped into the flat. He unclipped Bogart's leash and heard the dog wander into the apartment.

"Tough day," Charlie said, his voice sounding distant.

Draco looked up, towards the kitchen and the sound of Charlie's voice. "I've had better. But then again I have had much worse so I'm not going to complain."