A Snake in The Burrow

Part 4

Draco caught it with seeker-like reflexes and Harry grinned as he pulled out a miniature broom and cane from his other pocket. Ron and Hermione watched as Draco placed the trunk in the middle of the floor and knelt down in front of it.

'And were you okay, going back? She shuddered slightly and Ron put an arm around her.

'Yes,' he said. 'I meant what I said at the table. I only saw the Manor as a home. Funnily enough, I didn't really think about our experience there – that could have been another place entirely. Other things on my mind, I suppose. But, well, it wasn't the Manor, was it, it was the people and they weren't there. Here,' he threw another parcel towards Draco. 'You might need this.'

Draco knew what is was immediately and stared at Harry in amazement. 'You kept it!' he exclaimed.

'It wasn't mine to throw away. I retrieved it from my vault this afternoon.'

Draco carefully unwrapped the wand, his precious hawthorn wand, he relished feeling it in the palm of his hand, recognising the old familiar connection of magic. He pointed it at the trunk and muttered 'engorgio'. The trunk sprung back to its original size and Draco was clicking it open and exclaiming in delight.

He suddenly realised what this meant to him. All his life he'd never appreciated what he'd been handed on a silver platter but five days in the same clothes and a prospect of no change from that situation, to suddenly be presented with his full wardrobe and toiletries, books, his precious potions kits that Severus had gifted him, shoes, boots, coats, even his Quidditch kit. And as he held his aftershave in his hand, he realised he had tears in his eyes, but he didn't care. Harry was kneeling beside him, rubbing his arm.

'How did you fit it all in?' Draco was whispering.

'It just so happens that one of my bestfriends is very good at casting illegal invisible extension charms and I learnt it from her.'

'Thank you,' he whispered. 'Merlin. You're all pretty special, aren't you? You take me in, you forgive the past so quickly, you risk this for me. I'm sorry I never saw it before. All I ever did was look down my nose at you when, in truth, you've all had so much more than me. The important things in life. And you all give so much. I'm sorry I never understood, I'm sorry for what I was like at school.'

'You're gonna be okay, Draco,' Harry said softly. 'Come on,' he said, as he stood up and held out his hand to pull Draco up. 'Perhaps you'd like to throw on some different clothes and we'll go for a walk.'

'We'll come too,' Hermione suggested.

Draco saw Harry roll his eyes and the colour drain from Ron's face.

'Without being too blunt, Mione,' Harry said with a smile. 'I was trying to give you and Ron some alone time.'

Hermione flushed deep pink, much to Draco's amusement. Draco reached out and took Harry's hand so he could be pulled up off the floor.

Harry was checking him out, he was sure. The raven-haired man was lounging against the wall opposite the bathroom waiting for him and when Draco stepped out in a pair of black combats, a pale green t-shirt, and in bare feet. Harry was definitely casting a lingering gaze across Draco's body. Draco pushed back his long strands of blond hair that kept falling across his face now he'd stopped gelling it back.

'What are you staring at, Potter?'

'HARRY!' came a shiver of automatic echoes from around The Burrow.

Harry grinned a lopsided smile at him, showing his straight white teeth and Draco groaned as his stomach seemed to flip inside out.

'Merlin, you'll be the death of me.'