The present Harry had bought for Draco's birthday sat on his desk, immaculately folded and expectantly waiting to be wrapped. It was beautiful, a soft cashmere scarf, made in a traditional plaid style using light tones which would perfectly suit Draco's pale skin and hair. The scarf was graceful and expensive, things Harry knew Draco liked. But more than that, the reason it had caught Harry's eye was not something one could see. If Harry knew anything about Draco, it was that he was invariably too cold. That was why, when Harry saw the note next to the scarf reading 'Enchanted to warm the wearer', he knew he simply had to buy it.
It would be perfect. He had some dark green wrapping paper folded next to him, which he would use once he had finished Draco's birthday letter. Really, he should have given Draco the present while they were at school as Draco's birthday was the fifth of June, but the problem was that Draco hadn't ever actually told Harry when his birthday was until after it had come and gone.
"I hate birthdays," Draco had told him the week before the third task, "Too much attention, too many expectations."
Harry had bought the present soon after that conversation, but before he had the chance to wrap it and give it to Draco, the third task had blown it completely out of his mind. He had found it in his trunk the day he had come back to number four, Privet Drive. However, he was going to send it now. Harry re-read Draco's most recent letter once more, smiling at the fact that, despite everything, he could still reach Draco through something as simple as a piece of parchment.
Dear Harry,
I'm fine! Seriously, if you ask me once more, I'm going to stop writing to you. Okay, maybe that was a lie. I'll wait a little longer to reply to you, at least. That'll teach you!
But seriously, everything is okay. Father has barely spoken to me all Summer, he seems really busy. I don't want to think about what he might be doing. Still, I'm seriously benefiting from his continued preoccupation. This has been the calmest Summer I've ever had. All the better, I've had some time to be with my mum since father isn't here very much. She is pretty busy too, but not at the same level as my father. While he's been out we've been able to eat together in private and take walks in the grounds. It's nice to see her so much. I miss her when I'm at school.
I think Manimi misses you. I mean, obviously, I have no idea as I can't understand her. But yeah, she (probably) sends her love.
The drawings I sent with this are the ones I've done recently which I think you'll like. Tell me what you think.
In the Manor grounds, we have this rose garden which I hope one day I'll be able to show you. It's gorgeous and it smells incredible. All the roses are blooming just now, so it looks really beautiful. There's a pond in the middle of the garden with koi fish in it (I think that's what you call them?). I sent you a drawing of the fish too, but if there are any drawings you don't want, just send them back. Sorry I send you so many.
I miss you a lot.
Please reply fast.
Love, Draco
Enclosed in the thick parchment envelope which had arrived with Draco's eagle owl had been three drawings. One had been the aforementioned koi fish, and one was a portrait of Draco's mother - Narcissa - which had been done, Harry guessed, while the two had been eating in the grounds of the manor, as it featured flowers. The final one was a rose with a dewdrop sitting pearly between the petals. It was the only one that featured colour, as it had been lightly filled in with watercolour paints. The drawings were under the floorboards, along with the other possessions Harry had hidden from the Dursleys.
Once he had finished his reply to Draco, Harry meticulously wrapped the scarf and attached the letter to the present, doing his best to make it neat. Finally, he tied a piece of string around the present, looping it over all the sides, to make it easier for Hedwig to carry. Then he watched her carry it away until she disappeared into the sky bright summer sky. He was already impatient for his answer.
0o0oDraco0o0o
Draco grinned as he read through his (very belated) birthday letter, having sent Hedwig back off home. Harry's messy - sometimes borderline illegible - handwriting always had the ability to make Draco feel less lonely, and today it was doing so marvellously. He read and re-read the letter before placing it aside and carefully began unwrapping his present. He smiled as he pulled out the scarf, holding it against his skin to feel the feather softness that only cashmere could possess. Then he noticed a note torn from a sheet of parchment within the wrapping paper, obviously written by Harry. He picked it up. It read:
Draco,
I know how you're always cold, so I thought this would be perfect. It's enchanted to keep the wearer warm, and (as far as my fashion sense goes) I think it's pretty stylish too. It will certainly look dazzling on you.
-H
Though it was a warm day, Draco hurriedly wrapped the scarf around his neck and felt himself grow warmer until he was at a perfect temperature. Then, to put the cherry on top, Draco realised that, as Harry had been keeping the scarf in his room for a while, it smelt of him. He gathered the fabric to his face, inhaled through his nose... and positively ached from how much he was missing Harry. It was hard to ignore the loneliness when he was engulfed in Harry's smell. Trying to block the feelings from his mind, he walked over to his desk and sat down, pulling parchment and a quill towards him. Harry's birthday was due in a week, so he was going to start the letter now.
Draco had thought long and hard on what to get Harry for his birthday. It wasn't an easily answered question. It couldn't be Quidditch related - everyone got Harry Quidditch stuff. Clothes were out of the question, as they weren't personal enough, and Draco had already given Harry too many drawings for them to be special anymore. So, finally, Draco had decided to go window shopping in search of inspiration. He had asked permission to go into Diagon Alley by himself, and luckily, Narcissa had agreed. After two hours of fruitless searching, something gleaming in a shop window caught his eye - two rings. They were simple to look at - unadorned bands, one silver, one gold - but they were more than they seemed.
"Enchanted," the old man behind the counter had wheezed. "Give this to someone, wear a ring yourself, and you will always know if the other person is in danger."
Rings had originally been crossed off Draco's mental list of possible presents for obvious reasons. Apart from the fact that is was incredibly cheesy, it also made Draco think too much about marriage. He loved Harry, but something about the idea of weddings made his feel strange - maybe because his only experience with courtship was of his parent's very unhappy arranged one. But these rings felt different. They perfectly suited his and Harrys' situation. Draco had left the shop that day with considerably less money than he had entered with.
Draco dipped his quill into a well of dragonfly blue ink, and pressed the nib to the parchment, writing in an elegant, curly hand:
Dear Harry,
Happy birthday you wonderful person! (I'm hoping this get's to you on time.) I hope the muggles aren't being too horrible and that you are having a decent day. I wish I could be there with you. I promise that as soon as you escape from the muggles, I will make your birthday amazing. Until then, I hope my letters provide some form of entertainment.
On the subject of birthdays, THANK YOU! This scarf is absolutely going to change my life this winter. It is so soft! How did you know I liked cashmere? Not to mention it smells of you (i.e. amazing). I'm probably going to look like a complete crazy person, sniffing this scarf all the time, but I don't even care. Thank you. This has totally made my week - no, my year!
Draco made his letters as long as possible because he knew Harry had absolutely nothing to do when he stayed with the muggles. At least Draco had a whole manor to himself - Harry was often confined to a single room for hours or days.
Once Draco had written a good deal, he folded the parchment and sealed it in an envelope. Next, he placed one of the rings - the gold one, as he thought that colour would best suit Harry (he was a Gryffindor, after all) - into a small cushioned box, along with a note explaining what it was and how it worked. Unfortunately, he still had to wait a few days before sending them. But it gave him a sense of accomplishment to know that he had got the job done.
Groaning internally, Draco counted the time left of the summer, knowing that whatever the number, it would be too long.