Chapter Text
Harry stared upwards, frozen fingers stuffed in his pocket. The chill of December bit on his cheeks but it goes unnoticed, he always has been used to extreme temperatures. A slow smile creeps onto his face despite the heavy burden of his problems. Ron was nowhere to be found so he left Hermione alone in the tent for a while to do what she does best, think. He counts as many stars as he can and they all seemed to gleam for him once he’s assigned them a number.
“I don’t know what to do,” he finally said, his smile naturally slipping from his face as his eyebrows drag upwards in serious question. He feels his shirt touch his chest as he released a sigh. “A friend of mine is gone and he has yet to return I—-why me?”
He waits.
“Why do I have to be given this mission?” Harry asked. “Personally, I think the Chosen One bullshit is just too cliche.”
He hears movement from behind him but he doesn’t turn, instead, he leans into the touch of a hand that rested gently on his shoulder. “Harry.”
“‘Mione.”
“What did they say?” She asked, looking up at the sky with slight hope.
“Nothing...they—-they’re as silent as stars.”
Hermione frowned. “Tell me about them.”
Harry knows she probably knows more or less everything about astronomy but he complies because she needs a distraction. He searches. “I never really told you why I liked them so much.”
“Yeah.”
“They seem to like me,” Harry said. “It’s a bit ridiculous but when you’ve had a sad childhood you try to pick up on anything positive. I felt like they were always looking after me you know and maybe sometimes I feel like my parents are somewhere there.”
“Maybe.”
“It was pure torture when I was locked inside that stupid cupboard and I couldn’t just go out to look at them. I never really got tired of them.”
“Do you have a favorite?”
Harry searches the sky. “Draco.”
“Not what I expected.”
“The brightest star is Eltanin. I don’t know. There’s something quite graceful and absolutely annoying about it.”
She rolled her eyes. “How could a star possibly be annoying?”
“Draco takes up most of the space in the sky, it’s almost ridiculous. It’s like they like the attention but I still think how they curl like that seems so graceful and so proud.”
“Draco isn’t that big,” Hermione grinned. “Maybe it’s just what catches your attention.”
“I suppose,” Harry hummed. He turns to her, seeing how red her eyes are and almost feeling guilty for something he didn't even do. They were both tired from fighting a war that is far from over and they’re both suffering from different things, unable to even stop for a mental break because they needed to do this. If Harry thought about it enough, he’d start to think why he should even do this and why he should even consider even saving people that aren’t his to care for anyway. But then here is Hermione, his best friend who loved him so much and she was willing to follow him to the battlefront because, at this point, they only had each other.
Oh he’s so excited for the eventual emotional fuck up this will bring him. “Let’s go inside.”
The war is over.
The first thing Harry did was set himself apart from the crowd by climbing onto his broom and hovering over the castle, closer to the stars than the ground. He smiled at the full moon and the smooth raking of wind through his hair. He loved this small and temporary feeling of freedom. It felt like he owned himself again.
“It’s over,” he said. “It’s unfair that you’re only watching while I had to do all the hard work.”
The stars merely shined.
“I don’t know what to do from this point onwards,” he sighed. “I guess there is the initial fame and politics but I—-I want something that’s mine and I just want some kind of miracle, you know?”
He looked downwards, sees his feet dangling. “I just want something new, everything here is tiring.”
Harry looks up towards the moon, feeling stupid for leaving space for the stars and the moon to talk back when they never do. “I guess you have it better, huh? There are no problems for you but being down here seems to be more complex.”
“I bid you, good night.”
It has been for a while. He was a celebrated hero everywhere and he was walking into another battle he, again, did not want to face. The media was ruthless and his fans were very much persistent. He hated every bit of attention he got because it was all so wild and toxic. Harry only had to blink and he would get the attention he’d want and yet he’s never felt more alone than he did now.
Harry further grew into grief when he couldn’t even have his usual peaceful evening walk with the stars. He couldn’t talk to them and the light pollution was so horrid he could hardly see Ursa Major. It was maddening.
Ginny was a blazing ball of sunlight, never ending charm and allure but he could not give what he doesn’t have, he could not give what he lost in the battle. It was a hard separation, especially since the love was true but it was better that way. She wanted to love him and he wanted to be alone. He wanted it to be him and just him.
They should have expected it when Harry decided to live far from the city and the hustle and bustle of everything. After weeks of searching, he found a little house far off into the countryside. It had a large plot of land and the neighbors were at least a half hour away from him in all directions. He decided to check it out at night and when he saw Ursa Minor gleam at him, he decided to take it.
To celebrate, Harry, Hermione, and Ron decided to go to a quiet little pub to get some drinks. They had cast a Notice-Me-Not charm around them so that they could truly spend time together. “To Harry slowly becoming a hermit.”
Harry snorted. “Thanks, Ron.”
Ron laughed, tilting his head back to down half of his glass of beer. “It still seems ridiculous for you to cut off like that from society.”
“Hush now,” Hermione said. “The attention is rather shit anyway.”
“I find the silence quite fresh and fun,” Harry said.
Hermione cocked a brow. “Are you trying to seem cool by saying that? Fresh and fun?”
Ron snorted. “The hermit...it’s starting.”
“Thanks, appreciate it,” Harry huffed. “How was the meeting of parents?”
“God,” Ron groaned. “Dad was just so bloody curious about everything and he kept trying to hide it as well but he did so horribly.”
Hermione laughed behind her hand. “Ah, yes, these are beneficial for you I presume...how would you, hypothetically speaking, get them to work?”
“That’s non-verbatim and it sounds fine,” Ron said. “If you had been there you’d have shrunk really you would have.”
“Don’t be so dramatic, it wasn’t—-” she said, and then looked as if she lost her words. “It was kind of bad but my parents do understand.”
“I’m just lucky we managed to have perfect teeth despite everything,” Ron sighed.
Hermione looked rather serious. “I would have found a spell to fix your teeth before you even met my parents, believe me.”
“Oh I don’t doubt that at all, ‘Mione,” Ron said.
“How’s Ginny?” Harry asked. He wasn’t romantically interested but he did want to know just for the sake of knowing.
Ron shrugged. “She’s fine. She’s joining a professional Quidditch team and she’s pretty much jumping all over due to excitement.”
“It’s all I hear,” Hermione sighed. “At least when you two were dating we could talk about your relationship...or your girth.”
Harry’s eye twitched. “Excuse me?”
Ron pinched the bridge of his nose. “Those are reserved for drunk conversations”
“Girth?” Harry repeated. “Do you talk about Ron’s—-”
“Yes,” Ron cut in. “Let’s just assume that girls talk about everything thank you.”
Hermione just laughed.
Harry was about to take another swig but something shiny from the corner of his eye distracted him. He was half-expecting a disco ball but it was merely blond hair. He managed to catch the eye of a blond man who seemed to glow and set himself apart from this bland crowd. The noises of those around him proceeded to fade as the only thing he could hear is his own strained breathing. The man’s skin was pale and his eyes seemed to encase the moon itself. The angles of his body seemed so bloody impossible for a person to ever pull off but he did and he stood so proudly and cautiously.
With eyes as piercing as it was intense, the man smiled at him.
His heart clenched with familiar yet unfamiliar longing.
“Harry.”
The noise of the pub flooded back in and he is made to look at his friend again. “Sorry, what?”
“I was asking if you still planned to take up that offer of teaching at Hogwarts,” Hermione said.
Harry nodded. He turned to the general direction of the blond man but the man was gone. “Yeah. I feel like it would be fun.”
“Why did you turn down being an Auror?”
“My PTSD, mainly, but I feel like I would be pretty shit at it if my fame were to get in the way,” Harry explained
“But with just a little work you could proceed to become Head Auror,” Ron said. Hermione frowned at this but proceeded to say nothing.
Harry found it easy to reply. “It doesn’t matter to me.”
Harry is only a bit upset when the night sky has been so cloudy all of a sudden. He can’t quite see any of his favorite constellations. What was the point of moving to a secluded area if this is what happens? He figured that it didn’t matter if they were covered, they could still probably hear him.
“I’m starting my job at Hogwarts next week,” Harry said, feeling a bit stupid that he can’t see the ones he is talking to but the moon seemed to peep through in an attempt to listen. “I’ve got to buy new robes tomorrow though because I don’t own any good ones...or should I go casual?”
He thought about it for a moment. “Perhaps both is good.”
The next morning, Harry ate some egg on toast and marmalade on toast, read both muggle and non-muggle newspapers before he set out to a place called Fitch’s and Stitches. It was a relatively new shop but is said to make the most durable yet beautifully made robes. It sounded promising and it was also very near so he wanted to check it out. There was also a pet shop nearby, maybe there’d be pretty fishes he can get. The house lacked life.
He’d originally asked Hermione to join him but she had agreed to do a little talk at Beauxbatons on study habits so she had that to prepare for as well. She had to make it an easy talk because she was to do it in front of first years...in French but that wouldn’t stop her. He had somehow caught her reading a French dictionary on her spare time back when they were younger.
“Welcome to Fitch’s and Stitches where we make the best apparel for wizards and witches,” the woman greeted her from the counter.
Harry already felt himself sweat, “I just need robes for...teaching?”
She seemed to brighten. “Just like the lad who came here. What class will you be teaching?”
“Defense Against the Dark Arts,” Harry replied, feeling more at ease now that she seemed to only be interested in what he would look good in—-wait.
“For you,” she said, on her nametag it said ‘Sunny’. “I recommend our most durable collection. They’re all black and they can resist most damage. They are non-flammable, waterproof, and shockproof.”
“Shockproof,” Harry repeated.
Sunny blinked. “For when you fall.”
“For when I fall.”
“They’re over at the section there,” she said, pointing to the right of the shop. “They’ll have the red tags and the fitting rooms are near there, just look up for the sign. If you need any assistance just ring the bell or...yell.”
Harry proceeded to walk towards to the all black collection, spotting the red tag almost immediately. He let his hands feel the material and he could hardly believe it would be able to protect him from water, flames or...shock because it seemed softer than life itself. Whoever made this didn’t compromise any sort of quality.
He was starting to think that he should have at least brought Luna or Ginny along with him...or even Neville since he was going to teach Botany in Hogwarts as well. He was so hopeless with dressing himself, the only thing he had to go by was that red made his eyes look ‘pretty’ and that black made him look slimmer though he still wasn’t sure because that was the only fashion related thing The Prophet wrote about him.
Harry completely tuned it out when he heard people from behind him because he was just in a serious battle with himself on whether or not he should get more than three of these robes. Will he be responsible enough to do laundry once a week? Would he look like Snape? Jesus. He caught something familiar from the corner of his eyes and, with a loud heart, he turned. It was the same blond man in the pub. He was looking at the same robes as he was even though his arms were already holding other robes. He took note that it was mostly dark and rich colors such as green and navy blue.
The blond man blinked, then looked at him, catching his eyes almost immediately. There was wonderment then recognition and...amusement? “Hogwarts?”
Harry cleared his throat. “Yes.”
The blond man’s smile broadened. “That’s a coincidence indeed.”
“You as well?” Harry asked.
“Yes,” he nodded. “Sunny said these were the most durable ones but I doubt I’d need them.”
Harry shrugged. “They’re good for the price. It can withstand water and fire...and, apparently, shock.”
“Shock,” he repeated.
“For when you fall.”
“For when I—-” he seemed to frown at this. “Where was that when I needed it.”
“You fall a lot?”
The blond huffed. “Not as much as the others, only once.”
“Oh, do you play Quidditch?” Harry asked. Why was he even striking a conversation?
“Not quite,” he chuckled. “If you’re having trouble, I feel as if that one over there suits you the best. It can also be a coat so you can just put it on top of anything and...you have nice shoulders.”
Harry blinked, fighting of a blush. “Thank you.”
The blond smiled, seeming like he knew what he did. “I’ll be heading off first then. It was nice to meet you.”
“I’ll see you around,” Harry said.
At the end of the day, when Harry threw his shopping bags on his couch in favor of making himself some tea. He let out a frustrated groan.
“I didn’t ask what the bloody hell his name is.”
They were sure to meet again.
There was a little evening get together with the staff of Hogwarts and also most of the people at school who actively fought in the war. McGonagall had planned everything so that people would at least be acquainted. Harry would normally just turn down the invitation in favor of staying at home and cooking himself a hot meal, however, if it was a get together of the Hogwarts staff then he would probably see the blond man.
Truly, he was obsessed.
McGonagall had set everything up beautifully, it was like entering the Great Hall for the first time ever. He immediately made a beeline towards Hermione and Ron who stood near the sides chatting happily with each other. “Hey.”
“Harry,” Hermione grinned, wrapping an arm around him in a hug. “You came.”
“I know right,” Harry said, grinning.
Ron swirled the glass of punch in his hand. “I gotta warn you, mate, Hannah is the one making the beverages so you need to be careful.”
Harry visibly cringed. “Merlin. You remember that one time we all went out to Edinburgh?”
They shivered. “Edinburgh..”
“McGonagall would surely monitor that,” Hermione said, though a bit unsure. “I hope.”
“Are you excited about your first day, mate?” Ron asked, clapping a hand on Harry’s shoulder.
Harry snorted. “Yes, father.”
“Shove off,” Ron laughed.
Hermione rolled her eyes, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. “You know, Harry, I heard they are going to aim for house unity this year. I’m surely interested as to how that’ll go.”
“I heard they won’t be as divided like we were, she’s going to mix the rooms a little bit. I don’t know how that’ll turn out but I’m sure the Hufflepuffs will survive with almost anyone anyway,” Harry said.
“Just don’t be as horrid a professor like Umbridge was,” Ron said.
Harry’s nose scrunched. “Wow what a hard criteria to reach.”
“Rule number one, try not to wear pink,” Ron shrugged.
“Did you know pink used to be a masculine color?” Hermione said.
“Good input,” Ron grinned, patting her shoulder lightly.
Hermione smiled back.
“How’s the Aurors?” Harry asked.
“Merlin,” Hermione groaned. “It’s all he talks about.”
Ron pouted. “Well it’s the best thing to ever happ—-” she looked at him in challenge. “One of the best things to ever happen to me.”
“I’m happy for you,” Harry said. “How’s the back?”
“In pain.”
“And the receding hairline?”
“It’s like I can feel my hair just slowly crawl to the back of my head.”
Harry and Hermione laughed. She bit the inside of her cheek. “I rather like growing older, I feel like I’m growing into my hair.”
“You haven’t aged a day,” Harry said.
“That is my line,” Ron huffed, then turned to her. “You haven’t aged at all.”
“It’s like you two copying homework again and trying not to make it obvious,” she sighed. She eyes Harry up and down. “I see you’ve shopped.”
“Apparently, I can’t always wear my old and worn out clothes,” Harry shrugged. He shifted on his feet a bit before looking around. “I’ll go get myself a drink.”
They both nodded.
Harry wormed his way through the crowd, managing to avoid any further interaction before he could get a drink. He managed to spot Dean and Seamus joking with each other again and he also spotted some Slytherins being the true socialites that they were. What made this get together bearable was that there was no press involved.
It seemed like a million miles away but he finally reached the table. “Hey, Hannah.”
“Harry,” she said, smiling at him brightly. “In need of a drink?”
Harry gave her a look. “Always.”
“Social situations are a true pain,” Hannah said, pouring questionable shimmery blue liquid into a tall glass. “Luckily, I’m here for you.”
The curly haired man snorted. “Oh, sure, Hannah. The reason for my next murder, why not?”
“Well, I hope this isn’t poisoned,” a voice said. “I quite like it.”
Harry’s head snapped up to see the blond looking at him with a smirk. “Hey.”
“Hi,” he greeted.
Hannah looked between them, trying to stop herself from smiling. “Drink?”
“Please,” the blond said, handing her his drink.
“You’re here.”
“I am,” the blond said, taking his drink from Hannah before taking a sip.
“You better be careful with how much you drink,” Harry said, giving Hannah look. “When we were at Edinburgh—-”
Hannah pointed the ladle at him. “You shall not.”
Harry put up his hands and mimed zipping his mouth closed. He looked at the blond sheepishly. “I must not.”
“I’m intrigued now,” he said. “What happened in Edinburgh?”
Harry walked a few steps, looking at the blond if he followed and he did. “What happens in Edinburg, stays in Edinburgh.”
The blond gave him a funny look. “That’s Las Vegas.”
“Well, whatever,” Harry shrugged.
“I’m Draco Malfoy,” the blond said, holding out his hand.
Harry took it, noting that his hand felt very warm. “Harry Potter.”
“Funny name,” Draco said. Harry was half expecting a ‘I know who you are’ but it didn’t come.
“Harry?”
“Yeah, I imagined that you’d be a Robert.”
“How plain.”
Draco cocked a brow. “And I suppose the name ‘Harry’ is rather adventurous?”
“Well we can’t all be named after constellations you know,” Harry scoffed.
“Did you buy the robes?” Draco asked.
“Yeah,” Harry said. “I heard they make my shoulders look good.”
“A wise man that one,” Draco said. “It was nice to meet you, Harry Potter.”
“Are you leaving?” He didn’t want him to.
“No, but I need to go back to some people,” he said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Harry felt his heart clench stupidly. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Draco.”
“Your professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts, Harry Potter,” McGonagall announced, the room erupted with applause. He stood up with as much pride as he can muster before trying to sink back to his seat, in an attempt to make himself seem smaller. He was sat beside McGonagall but he could see the blond man just at the edge of the table. He sat so straight it looked rather uncomfortable.
“Your professor for Astronomy, Draco Malfoy.” He stood up as if he had everything to be proud of. He was so graceful. Draco looked at him and smiled before sitting back down and talking to the professor beside him which just happened to be Neville.
When everything had died down and the food had appeared, Harry couldn’t really help himself. “Where’d you find the astronomy professor? Did he apply?”
McGonagall smiled. “Interested, are you?”
“No I—-” he blushed.
“I met him long ago but we only just recently came to talking,” she said. “He seemed particularly skilled in Astronomy and Occlumency and Legilimency as well but perhaps I think he has a bigger purpose.”
Harry looked at her questioningly. “A bigger purpose?”
“He seems rather driven and unique,” she explained. “It seemed a waste of a good professor if I was to turn him down and I was already having a hard time looking for an Astronomy professor as it was.”
“Did he meet the requirements of being odd?” Harry joked.
She chuckled. “I’m afraid not, Mr. Potter.”
“I can’t wait to work with him,” he said, eyes casting a glance at him to see him nodding along to what Neville was saying, but then scowling and seemingly arguing about something. “He seems to be nice enough to get along with Neville.”
“The only thing they talk about are things related to their own careers,” McGonagall huffed. “I was left to the displeasure of having to listen to them talk about the effects of the stars on plant life.”
“Did he seem like...he knew me?”
“You never came up in conversation.”
That shouldn’t hurt his pride. “Alright then.”
When all was said all was done, Harry decided to escape to the astronomy tower to get some peace of mind. The whole dinner felt as if people were watching him, he didn’t know if it was because they were fans or because they wanted to see him break. Harry had tried to catch Draco’s eye the whole night like he was some kind of schoolboy with a tiny crush but Draco was much too busy with angrily debating with Neville and also cutting his food into tiny pieces before he ate them.
One thing is for sure, Draco liked milk in his tea.
“Enjoying?” A voice asked.
Harry ripped his gaze away from the sky, then looked at the source. “Draco, what are you doing here?”
Draco gave him an amused look. “This is the astronomy tower and I happen to be the astronomy professor or was your attention elsewhere?”
“I suppose,” Harry snorted. He notes that Draco seemed to be glowing along with the moonlight. The light breeze did wonders to his hair. What does it feel like to card his fingers through—- “Sorry I just like the view from here.”
“It’s a cloudy night.” he pointed out.
“The moon is peaking through though,” Harry said. “I suppose that’s enough for now.”
“I guess you could see Orion’s belt,” Draco said. “Though he’s not that amazing really he should change his belt.”
Harry rolled his eyes. “Good joke.”
“You’d think it was,” Draco replied. “Did you come here to talk to them?”
“A bit,” Harry said. “Do you talk to them?”
“That would be stupid,” he said bluntly.
Harry was so caught off guard that he laughed. “Thanks.”
“They never answer you,” Draco said.
“I guess,” Harry shrugged. “They don’t offend me either.”
“How rude you can look at the sky all night but not maintain eye contact,” Draco huffed.
“The sky is less intense than eye contact and, besides, it feels invasive,” he said.
“Merlin,” Draco sighed.
“I’m so glad we were able to repair this tower,” Harry said.
Draco frowned. “Was it destroyed badly?”
“Yeah,” he replied. “This was the last part of the castle we had to repair.”
“Did you come up here often?”
“No, not since Dumbledore.”
“I see.” A pause. “Would you like to play chess?”
“If you let me win,” Harry huffed.
Draco cocked a brow. “Who said I was good?”
“No one really invites someone to a game of chess unless they’re good at it,” Harry said, falling into pace with Draco as they both started to exit the tower.
“I might just let you win,” the blond smirked. “I’ll let you win if you tame your mess of a hair.”
Harry puffed out a laugh. “You’re a git. Oh, come on, I look great.”
“You look like you’ve shagged a mop in a closet,” Draco snorted.
“Can you please tell me that the mop was at least made of good wood?” Harry joked. “No splinters.”
“I suppose.”
They finished their little game of chess at around 2AM which was seriously regrettable, considering the fact that they Harry had to teach a class in the morning but the blond had a 12AM class. Draco had won the first game and but Harry suspects that Draco had let him win the second one before finally winning the last game of theirs all for himself. It wasn’t really a long game but Harry had so much fun talking to Draco. It was very refreshing to get normal attention from someone who isn’t from Hogwarts or who fought with him.