After the War

Chapter 24

I jumped away from Harry and turned around, "Malfoy? What the hell are you doing here?"

"One second Granger. Potter, when the hell were you going to tell me I could stop searching?" Malfoy exclaimed.

"Either tonight or tomorrow. Depended on when I saw you next."

"When you saw me next? Really? Are you telling me you don't even know how to send a message through a Merlin damned Patronus anymore?"

"I'm sorry. I got a little excited about finding her and just... forgot." Harry said sheepishly.

"You just forgot. Oh, wow! Great partnership spirit, that was." Malfoy said with an eye roll.

"Excuse me! Does someone want to tell me what the hell is going on and why Malfoy is standing here like everything is fine? Or maybe why you two are arguing like an old married couple?" I exclaimed, annoyed with them arguing over my head, literally.

"Right, sorry about that. You see, not long after you left, I joined the auror training program. And wouldn't you believe it? Malfoy was there as well. Ron had changed his mind and he'd decided to drop out. At first, we only started talking to each other because we had to be polite with others around us who worked in the same department. But then, something clicked and we kinda became closer, though we still fought a bit. In the end, we graduated as best mates and best in class. Two years later, and here we are."

"You and the Great Bouncing Ferret are partners now?" I asked, looking between Harry and Malfoy, shocked.

"It's just Ferret now, thank you very much." Malfoy said with a smirk.

I couldn't handle that, I turned to Harry, "He makes jokes now? Seriously?"

"Yes, he does. And he doesn't like being talked about like he isn't here." Said Malfoy with a raised eyebrow.

"I am so sorry. Did I offend you Ferret?" I said sweetly.

"Why, yes, actually, you did." He said with a fake sniffle.

I rolled my eyes at him before turning to Harry, "This is too weird. I am going inside. It's cold and Ferrety out here."

"What? Just going to leave us out here in the cold?" Malfoy said, putting a hand over his heart, "Granger, you wound me."

"Well, as far as I know you have your own house around here somewhere. Unless you are living in a cage as someone's pet?" Malfoy looked at me slack jawed while Harry roared with laughter. I turned and walked across the street before calling over my shoulder, "Are you coming in or what?"

I opened the front door and left it open, knowing they were following me. Albeit I still didn't like the idea of having Malfoy inside my house, I wanted answers. Therefore, I promised myself I would deal with it the best way I could. I was also just getting used to using my wand again and was itching to see if I still remembered everything.

I walked in the door to the apartment calling out as I went, "Emma, we have another visitor!"

"Oh, who?" Emma called from the kitchen table.

"Ferret boy." I replied.

"OI! I resent that!" he called out as he walked through the door.

"Close the door behind you!" I called out as I sat down at the table and picked up my can to finish it off. Harry came and sat down next to me while Ferret, sorry, Malfoy took a seat at the head of the table.

"Emma, Malfoy. Malfoy, Emma."

"Draco. Call me Draco." Malfoy said as he sat down with a smile at Emma.

"Wasn't this the kid who was a dick?" Emma asked.

"That would be the one." I said.

"Why is he here?"

"Ask him. Better yet, ask Harry."

"We settled our differences throughout the training. I found out that being the last Potter comes with a few seats and perks and responsibilities that I knew nothing about. Malfoy wanted to learn more about Muggles and the world he had been kept from. So, we formed a truce and helped each other out. Turned out, we had a bit in common, and got a long alright, eventually we realised we were friends, we already knew we were great as partners and being friends only made that more so." Harry said, "We managed to work out all the stuff from school and move on from it. It makes work easier and helps to get on with life. Move on from all the fighting and childhood crap. From the war."

"Uh huh... And how does Ron feel about all this? He can't be happy his best friend has taken up with his mortal enemy." I said.

"He wasn't happy to begin with, really unhappy actually. But now he has gotten used to it. They still aren't the best of friends and I doubt they ever will be, but he has grown up enough to deal with it." Harry said.

"I have become friendly with George. We have bonded over our love of pranks." Said Draco, "I think that is annoying him more than anything at this current point and time. But I think allowing him to 'beat me' in the prank war a while ago helped him overcome his anger. He thoroughly humiliated me. While I let him win, he did do a great job on the prank."

I turned to look at Harry who was trying to hide a chuckle under his breath, "He didn't come up with it on his own, did he?"

"No, he begged me to help. He came up with the basis of it, but I helped him finish it off. I couldn't resist a chance to prank Draco, especially when I knew he was going to be such an easy target." Harry said, still chuckling, "You should have seen him, his face and hair all multicolor, eyebrows as well. Feathers floating all around and sticking to him. It was amazing."

Draco sat there glaring at Harry, "Are you serious? That's not fair. It was meant to be every man for himself, you cheated."

"We may have cheated but it worked, didn't it? You now join us for Sunday night dinners some weeks because of it." Harry turned to me, "You should have seen Mrs. Weasley's face when he walked into Grimmauld place and saw the paint and dye and feathers everywhere. She yelled at all 4 of us and made us all clean it up, treated Draco like one of us kids. When it was done, she marched Ron and George out of the house, and hugged me and Draco and patted us on the cheek like she does, said 'I'll see you boys on Sunday for dinner' and left. Draco stood there gaping like a fish for a full minute before turning and looking at me, 'Did she just invite me to Sunday dinner?' I laughed and just said 'Welcome to the madhouse'. That was... what? A year and a half ago? Two years ago?"

"I haven't been able to get out of it since. There was one time I hadn't been in six weeks, she came to the office and yelled at me, fully yelled at me, in front of everyone. She wouldn't leave until I promised I would be there that Sunday. Now I make a point to go at least once a month, at least. I'm too scared not to. She put me on clean up duty that Sunday, no magic allowed. There were so many dishes that it was ridiculous. Torture. It was honestly torture." Draco finished with a shudder, as if remembering some horrible memory.

Emma suddenly burst out laughing making all three of us turn and look at him, "I am sorry, I am just imagining the pure blood prince being cowed by a short red headed woman and being made to do a truck load of dishes." She dropped her head on the table and started to laugh harder. Harry, Draco and I looked at each other before breaking out in laughter as well.

We sat and talked for a little while longer before Emma noticed the time, "Sarah and I have work tomorrow, and I need sleep. Stay here, go home, I don't care. I am going to sleep. Night y'all." She said standing up and going upstairs.

"We'll go home. Catch up again tomorrow?" Harry asked as we walked to the door.

"Yeah, message me tomorrow afternoon and we will work something out." Harry smiled and gave a hug before walking off.

Draco stayed behind and looked at me for a moment, "I am sorry for everything and I am really glad you're safe. And that you have made a life for yourself."

I raised my eyebrows at him "Thanks. Glad you broke away from all the bullshit as well." I smiled at him as he walked off down the stairs.

Maybe he could be given a second chance.