Sitting on his small bed, Harry looked out at the window. The sky was beginning to turn different colours as the sun prepared to set. One last sunset. Only one night time, one sunrise, before this life is over. The life he knew, at least. Was Harry being dramatic? Who knows.
He tapped his phone, checking for the third time in the last minute. The same message was frozen on the cracked screen: On Our Way. Sent five minutes ago.
Resting his head on the wall, Harry sighed. Luckily the Dursleys were away on some last-minute holiday, otherwise Ron and Hermione wouldn't even make it past the front door. From the corner of his eye, Harry saw his screen light up and he practically leapt towards it.
Draco: You weren't at work.
Harry: you rly think theyd let me go to my shift when i was almost shot?
Draco: Touché.
Harry: you shouldnt have come anyway. anything you do to do with me is just even more dangerous than before
Draco: Oh shut up, Potter.
Harry: excuse me?
Draco: Your self-pity isn't going to get you anywhere. Maybe I'm not doing all this for you. have you ever even thought that not everything is about the Chosen Boy? Who knows, maybe I just enjoy putting my life on the line for some dumb boy just because it's my usual weekend activity.
Harry: it's a tuesday
Draco: As usual, you're missing the fucking point, Potter. Why do I bother with your cargo-pants wearing, teenage-boy deodorant arse.
Harry: youre... energetic this evening
Draco: Sorry. I still have adrenaline pumping through my veins and this is not a normal feeling for me.
Harry: so i can tell. why the adrenaline?
At the sound of the knock on the door, Harry jolted up. He quickly typed "gtg" before chucking his phone onto his bed. A massive smile on his face, Harry thundered down the hallway and swung open the front door. "Hello."
"Get in here, you sorry bugger," Ron grinned, pulling Harry in for a strong hug. "Thank god for public holidays. I love a good early evening finish to a shift."
Behind him, Hermione smiled. "Good to see you, Harry. Are we coming in?"
"Yeah, yeah, come on in," Harry took a step back, patting Ron's shoulder and let them walk past. "Just to the right."
All three of them perched in various places around the room, Hermione put her hands on her hips. "Okay. So this is what you have packed?"
The large trunk lay in the middle of the floor, a crumpled shirt half hanging out.
"Yep."
Hermione muttered something under her breath before rubbing her face. "That's okay, we can work with this. Ron, you collect small belongings and put them on the bed. Harry, you fold clothes. I'll sort out what's rubbish and what's not."
"Shouldn't I be the one doing that, given it's my stuff?" Harry pointed out.
Hermione just made a politely disgusted face. "No." she patted him on the back. "Now get to work."
Ron went around the room, taking items off Harry's shelf of drawers, throwing them to the bed. The can of deodorant collided with the bottle of hair gel the Dursleys had tried to make Harry use - not that it ever did anything. Suddenly, Ron bolted upright. "Oh my god, I just remembered what happened today."
Turning around with furrowed eyebrows, Hermione began to say "What happened today?" before she clapped a hand over her mouth and turned to Harry. "We didn't tell you!"
"Tell me what?" Harry gave up on the grey shirt he had attempted to fold. "What happened?"
Ron sat down on the bed, leaning forwards with wide eyes. "Malfoy came to the shop today."
Crossing his arms, Harry thought he was missing something. "He always does that."
"Does he always come in with wild as fuck hair, looking like he was just in a speedboat?"
"What?" Jaw dropping, Harry looked to Hermione for confirmation. "He just- just came in looking like that?"
"Not a drop of that horrid gel," Hermione said. "His hair was all over the place. Falling in front of his eyes, actually moving when a draft of wind came through."
Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. Something Draco said ages ago surfaced in his mind: "When I let my hair go wild, Potter, then you'll know I've finally lost it." Then, on one of the more memorable nights of his life, something Harry himself had said, "So, when you're ready to let your hair down... Drop by." A smile grew across his face "That sly bastard."
Hermione sent him a quizzical look before shaking her head. "It was definitely strange to see."
"Well that's a fucking understatement," Ron said. "I think I'm gonna have nightmares for the next few weeks."
As Hermione and Ron continued sharing the effect seeing Malfoy's un-gelled hair will have on their daily lives, Harry inched over to his phone and picked it up.
Harry: i heard what you did
Draco: Someone took his time to reply.
Harry: you didn't have to do that
Draco: I have no idea what you're talking about, Potter.
But if, hypothetically, I knew whatever you were spouting on about, I would say that I did have to do that. Whatever it would take to prove to some fool that I am not taking this lightly and I can worry about him however much I please.
"Harry, that doesn't look like you're folding clothes," Hermione said, crossing her arms.
Harry hardly looked up from the screen, typing as fast as his fingers took him. "Sorry, sorry, I'm just texting, uh... Remus."
Harry: what are you doing for the rest of 2night?
Draco: Why?
And would it kill you to type the two letters
Harry: pressed for time give me a break
i cant give u all the details but theyre taking me somewhere and i will be gone for a long time
Draco: What? Who is taking you somewhere? Where are you going?
Harry: im leaving tomorow morning and idk when ill ever get to see u again. meet me at the cafe?
Draco: You can't just expect me to drop everything to find you.
Harry: 9pm will u be there or not
Draco: Alright, Jesus. I'll be there.
Harry glanced at the time on his phone. Eight-fifteen. He has time. Quickly, he went onto another chat.
Harry: i need u to call me
The Godfather: well i wont say no
but why?
Harry: pls just do it ill owe you
The Godfather: you take after me with your grammar
ok here i go
Harry's phone started vibrating and Sirius' profile picture came up on the screen. He sent an apologetic look to the other two before picking up, making sure to turn up the volume.
"Hello?" came Sirius' hesitant voice.
"Hey, you said you needed my help, that something was wrong?" Harry's heart thumped out of his chest and he prayed that he could count on Sirius.
To absolutely no one's surprise, Sirius always delivered. Immediately he started sobbing and bursting out with some story that Harry could hardly understand when combined with the crackle of the phone speaker.
Hermione and Ron stopped what they were doing, looking concerned.
"Who is it?" Ron asked Hermione who just shrugged.
Harry had to pretend he wasn't grinning and keep up his concerned facade. "Do you need me to come over?"
"Yes, yeah. As soon as possible, please, I-" and the sobs broke out all over again.
"Alright, alright." Harry said. "I'll be there soon, give me a few minutes." he tucked his phone into his jean pocket and turned back to the rest of the trio. "Listen, guys, I'm so sorry. I know you're here to help but my friend-" he gestured to the phone. "Is clearly having a crisis and I need to go help."
Hermione nodded. "Of course. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, uh, they'll be- they'll be fine," Harry waved his hand before realising he has to make it look bad enough to kick out his friends. "I mean. I-it's not looking good. I can help them through it, but I have to get there as soon as possible."
"Do you even have other friends?" Ron said, looking suspiciously at Harry.
Not knowing what to say, Harry just held up his phone and shrugged. "Will you guys be okay to get home?"
Grabbing her bag, Hermione nodded. "Of course. We have the Ford Anglia. How will you be getting to your friend's house?"
Harry sniffed, his hands behind his back. "Oh. They live pretty close. Yeah." He opened the bedroom door, trying not to break out into a sweat when Ron gave him a weird look as he walked past.
"What's the problem, anyway?" he asked, walking down the hallway behind Hermione.
Harry followed, grasping for an excuse. "They're mum... was... died."
"What?" Hermione spun around, mouth slack.
"No! Did I say that?" Harry laughed nervously, screwing up his face. "They're just- it's not that bad but bad enough for me to have to be there. You guys should go. Bye." In the face of the questions being thrown at him rapidfire, Harry closed the door. He covered his face, wishing he could scream. That could have gone a lot better.
The Godfather: now do you want to tell me what thats all about, kiddo?
Harry: i will i promise
i just have one more favour
and you cant tell remus
-
"This is a dumb idea," Sirius said frankly, stopping the car in front of the red lights. "Not only could this put you in danger, but I could potentially get in trouble, too. Bad trouble."
In the passenger seat, Harry rapidly tapped a finger on the armrest. "I don't think Mr Weasley has it in him to be mad."
"I'm not talking about Arthur, I'm talking about Remus. That man's gonna fucking kill me." He glanced at Harry before looking back at the road. "I'll make people pin the blame on you when they read my eulogy."
"I'll just leave the country," Harry grinned.
Sirius snorted. "Good luck without your designated Uber driver."
Keeping his eyes on the scenery outside, Harry quickly unclicked his seatbelt. "Here is good."
"What, in the middle of the road?"
"Yep. I'll see you later, I'll be able to get home by my-" a hand caught his arm and Harry looked up to see Sirius. Harry may have been mistaken, but it looked as though the circles under his eyes had darkened since he last saw him. "What?"
The older man sighed. "Just... don't do anything dumb, okay? I don't know what you're doing, where you're going, I- in this goddamn world, I don't even know if I'll ever see you again." He caught his breath at the end of the sentence, choking up.
Harry took his hand off the door. "Siri... look. I'm just going to the cafe, okay?"
Sirius' eyebrows twitched. "Why didn't you just say so?"
"And I'm going to be with someone I trust," Harry continued in effort to avoid the question. "I'll- I'll even text you throughout the night until I get home so that you know I'm safe."
Quickly sniffing, Sirius looked straight ahead. "Well, you better. Or Remus will kill us both and we'll have a joint funeral." He looked down into his lap with a soft smile on his face. "I'll be your best man," he said, ever so quietly.
"Funerals don't have best man- men, Sirius," Harry shook his head.
"Get outta here. Live your life." Sirius gave a short wave before he drove off, the old car disappearing around the corner.
A strange sense of pressure weighing down his shoulders, Harry checked the time on his phone. Eight-forty. Energy lit up his body and he made his way to the shop with a fast pace. When he made it to the carpark within a couple of minutes, he scanned the area. No cars. It's okay, there was still fifteen minutes to go until the agreed time.
Twenty minutes later, Harry was on the bottom of the three steps behind the cafe, his knee bouncing rapidly. Draco wouldn't just not turn up, would he?
The darkness of the carpark was uneasily empty, and the one braincell in Harry's head that had common sense came to the conclusion that he should at least wait inside. Luckily he had thought to bring the keys. After giving it the extra jiggle necessary to open the back door, Harry was about to close it behind him when a car without headlights on pulled into the carpark at a frightening speed. The front door opened and a figure came at a half-jog towards the store, glancing over his shoulder. His footsteps echoed around the carpark.
Harry felt all the tension in his body evaporate as he put a hand up on the door. "Draco," he said.
Looking up, Draco looked relieved as well. "I'm here. They tried to keep me behind to help with- well, it's not that important, but I'm here now. Very late, but here." When he stopped talking, he was right in front of Harry up on the steps, breathing somewhat heavily and watching Harry.
"You did your hair again," Harry said, ignoring the slightly disappointed, curious side of him that wanted to see Draco without his iconic gelled hairstyle.
Huffing out a short laugh, Draco shook his head, squinting out into the carpark. "That was simply a statement. I still have a reputation, Potter. Are we staying out here?"
Becoming aware of the door he was holding open, Harry quickly stepped to the side to let Draco through. "No, er. Come in."
After Harry found the switch, the yellow lights of the back room flickered on and Draco looked around, his hands in his blazer pockets.
"Has this gotten smaller since I last went here?" he asked.
Harry crossed his arms. "Maybe your head's just gotten bigger."
Tilting his head, Draco slowly turned around with a patronising smile.
Harry shrugged in mock thought. "Ego made you stand a bit taller."
"Why am I here, Potter?" Draco said, not leaving Harry's eye contact.
"What?" Harry faltered.
With a sigh, Draco turned around, walking around the small room. "You truly mean to tell me that you called me and told me to drop everything I was doing just so that you could send a few insults my way?"
"I... well, no."
Draco stopped walking and turned to face Harry, his arms crossed. "What?" he demanded, before adding, "Potter, my patience is getting smaller than this room."
Rubbing his arm, Harry tried to sort through his emotions and figure out why he actually did bring him here. "Draco, I-"
Turning his attention back to the room, Draco raised his arms and pointed. "I mean, seriously, what is this? An asylum?"
Harry squeezed his fists, wishing for some silence to be able to process his thoughts. "Draco, listen, I'm-"
Stepping forward as he enunciated each word, Draco gestured to the room around them. "Just paint the walls white, perhaps add some padding and then, voila! It would make me more insane than y-"
Grabbing him by the collar, Harry turned the blonde boy to face him, the unexpected force pushing Draco against the wall. "Shut the fuck up and listen!" Harry said through gritted teeth.
All the humour vanished from Draco's face.
"Look." Harry said, his jaw tight. "Tomorrow they're taking me away for I don't know how long, and-" It was at this moment that Harry realised his nose was practically touching Draco's. He was about to loosen his grip, but he also realised that Draco's hands were clutching his wrists. "And, er, I didn't- I mean I did want to see you before we may never..." He could feel Draco's breath on his face, feel his own heartbeat.
"Can you get through a fucking sentence?" Draco murmured, searching Harry's face with an incredulously soft gaze.
A smile inching onto his face, Harry leant closer, delighted at the pink rapidly spreading over Draco's cheeks, touching at the tips of his ears. This was certainly an effective way to make him shut up. Fists firmly gripped around Draco's collar, Harry paused, hovering a mere centimetre away from Draco's face, unable to keep his eyes from glancing downwards.
"Scared, Potter?" Draco whispered.
Harry looked up. Slowly, he smiled. "You wish." His hands moving from his collar to either side of his face, Harry ran a thumb over his cheek, bringing Draco's face down and grazing their lips together, light enough that Draco tried to come closer. Breathing heavily, Harry leant backwards, taking his time to survey Draco's face. How his eyes fluttered back open, his mouth parted as he panted, wondering why he stopped.
Holding the eye contact, Harry saw how beautiful Draco was and couldn't understand how he had never been this close before after all these years.
Losing his patience, Draco's hand slid into Harry's hair, pulling him closer and melting against his mouth. Eagerly but delicately, they moved in sync, Draco's hands knotting into Harry's hair as he was pushed further against the wall.
Breaking apart, Draco's arms fell so that they were over Harry's shoulders, leaning back against the wall and trying to calm his breathless state; difficult when he was very conscious of Harry's hands on his waist.
His head spinning, Harry had to put a hand on the wall to stop his knees from giving way. "Holy shit," he muttered.